The Forensic Identification Program offers two majors: Forensic and Investigative Science and Biometric Systems. These programs, which are related to criminal investigations and law enforcement, are enhanced by the University's close working relationships with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National White Collar Crime Center. Both of these agencies have large facilities in close to Morgantown. This degree program was developed through the efforts of the FBI and WVU in cooperation with professional associations, including the International Association for Identification. Students completing the program will earn a bachelor of science in Forensic Identification (BSFI). Within the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, dual degree programs awarding bachelor degrees in both Biometric Systems and Computer or Electrical Engineering are also offered. Majors in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Biochemistry B Biology B, M, D Chemistry B, M, D Communications Studies B, M , D Computer Science B Creative Writing M Criminology & Investigations B Economics B English B, M, D Environmental Geoscience B Foreign Languages B, M Forensic & Investigative Science B Geography B, M, D Geology B, M, D History B, M, D Individualized Major >B Industrial Mathematics and Statistics B International Studies B Legal Studies M Liberal Arts and Sciences B Liberal Studies M Mathematics B, M, D Multidisciplinary Studies B Philosophy B Physics B, M, D Political Science B, M, D Professional Writing and Editing M Psychology B, M, D Public Administration M Regents Bachelor of Arts B Religious Studies B Slavic Studies B Social Work B, M Sociology> M Sociology and Anthropology M Statistics M Women's Studies B B=Bachelor's; M=Master's; D=Doctorate Majors in the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources Aerospace Engineering B, M, D Biometric Systems B Chemical Engineering B, M, D Civil Engineering B, M, D Computer Engineering B, D Computer Science B, M, D Electrical Engineering B, M, D Engineering M Industrial Engineering B, M, D Industrial Hygiene M Mechanical Engineering B, M, D Mining Engineering B, M, D Occupational Safety and Health D Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering B, M, D Safety Management M Software Engineering M B=Bachelor's; M=Master's; D=Doctorate For more information, concerning the Forensic and Investigative Science Program, contact Lori Britton at 304-293-2453 ext. 3, forensicinfo@mail.wvu.edu, or write to the Forensic and Investigavite Science Program, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6121, Morgantown, WV 26506-6121. For more information, concerning the Biometric Systems Program, contact Dr. Larry Hornak at (304-293-LANE, ext. 2515, Lawrence.Hornak@mail.wvu.edu, or write to the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, West Virginia University, PO Box 6109, Morgantown, WV 26506-6109. You can also visit us online at: www.wvu.edu/~forensic/

The WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
The Eberly College of Arts and Sciences is the largest and most diverse academic unit within West Virginia University. A faculty of 450 and a staff of 125 are involved in educating and supporting the efforts of more than 6,700 students (nearly one-fourth of the WVU student body) who are majoring in one or more of 63 undergraduate and graduate programs offered by the College’s 16 academic departments and divisions. The College’s academic units and research facilities are housed in 14 buildings on the WVU campus. The Dean’s Office is in historic Woodburn Hall. The College and its Department of Biology also maintain the Core Arboretum, a 75-acre wooded tract adjacent to the Monongahela River.

The Eberly College provides the majority of the core curriculum for all WVU undergraduates and a wide variety of required and elective courses for the entire student body. Arts and Sciences majors may, with permission, major in more than one discipline, and when appropriate, design highly individualized degree programs.

Eberly College undergraduate degree programs prepare students for many specific professions, while also providing a broad-based education that will remain relevant beyond the first job after graduation. Many Eberly College alumni go on to complete graduate and professional degrees. By providing students with analytic and communication skills, reasoning abilities, and a broad knowledge of the humanities and the behavioral and natural sciences, the Eberly College equips graduates for lifelong learning and prepares them to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world and an increasingly volatile job market.

Forensic and Investigative Science
Offered by the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, the Forensic and Investigative Science major provides a background in the physical and biological sciences associated with forensic identification, including effective methods of collecting, processing, and identifying trace evidence from crime and disaster scenes, securing unidentified fingerprints, and identifying fingerprints using the Automated Fingerprint Identification System. This major is interdisciplinary in nature and draws on faculty expertise in biology, chemistry, psychology, sociology, and statistics.

The WVU College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
The College of Engineering and Mineral Resources undergraduate degree programs are administered through seven departments: chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, computer science and electrical engineering, industrial and management systems engineering, mechanical and aerospace engineering, mining engineering, and petroleum and natural gas engineering. All undergraduate programs are recognized by industry as providing excellent preparation for the engineering profession. The curricula give students a balanced background in the basic sciences, engineering sciences, engineering analysis, the humanities, and social sciences. Each curriculum features creative programs in engineering synthesis and design. This blend of science and practice has been developed to give students the tools to solve today’s problems and the background to develop the expertise needed for future success in the profession.

Graduates enjoy a multitude of career opportunities in our nation’s most vital industries. The College’s teaching laboratories are equipped with modern instruments, machines, and tools to improve and enrich students’ understanding of engineering principles and problems. Numerous computer laboratories and facilities are available for classroom work.

Biometric Systems
The Biometric Systems major, offered by the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, provides a background in the complex computer hardware and software designed to measure a “signature” of the human body, compare the signature to a database, and render a decision for a given application based on the identification achieved from this matching process. Uses of biometric systems for positive personal identification are growing rapidly in banking, law enforcement, and a variety of business and administrative systems.

In an even broader application context, biometric systems are having a revolutionary effect on health care and the advancement of the human computer interface. The continued rapid advance of integrated sensor, signal/image processing, computer, and mass storage technology promises to extend these applications further into our daily lives. Biometric identification is a highly interdisciplinary field, mixing traditional engineering with the forensic sciences. Students receive a firm foundation in electrical and computer engineering and computer science, along with a background in biology, chemistry, forensics, mathematics, and physics.

Admission Requirements
Students interested in Forensic and Investigative Science will be admitted as pre-program majors as freshmen and sophomores. Strong high school preparation in biology, chemistry, physics, algebra, trigonometry, and pre-calculus is recommended. Students seeking formal admission to the degree program must have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 in the pre-program requirements.

Students interested in Biometric Systems should have earned high school credit for four units of English, three units of social studies, three units of college preparatory mathematics, and two units of laboratory sciences. The College of Engineering and Mineral Resources admits students based on a combination of high school GPA and ACT or SAT scores. Students must earn a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all course work to be admitted into a degree program.

Course Work
*Please see the current WVU Undergraduate Catalog for complete course descriptions.

Accreditation
West Virginia University is fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Salary Range
Graduates in the Forensic and Investigative Science track can expect to command a starting salary of $30,000 with national law enforcement and major metropolitan area agencies.

Graduates in the Biometric Systems track can expect to command a starting salary of at least $50,000.