Degree Offered
MS
Program Description
Forensic medicine applies the principles and knowledge of medical sciences and technologies to the purposes of the law, as in determining the cause of death. This program is designed to give its graduates the knowledge and skills to allow them to contribute to the medico-legal death investigation system and to the legal justice systems. These contributions include the generation of knowledge in the field through submission of a manuscript for publication. Students also may be seeking enhanced professional training or may desire a career in the following areas:
- Death investigation supporting forensic Pathologists’s
- Assistance for Pathologists’s in autopsy performance
- Forensic Pathologists’
- Police organizations
- Prosecutors’ offices
- Departments/divisions of forensic medicine/science in medical colleges and universities
- Government or private forensic medical societies
The Master of Science (MS) in Forensic Medicine is a full- time, nonthesis, 12- to 18-month graduate degree program that prepares students for careers in forensic medicine. Students participate in classroom and online lectures, case discussions, and laboratory training. The curriculum focuses on forensic pathology, forensic autopsy, medico-legal death investigation, postmortem radiology, forensic odontology, and forensic anthropology. The state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the University of Maryland, Baltimore offer this program collaboratively, giving students the opportunity to study in one of the nation’s best medical examination facilities under the guidance of licensed and board-certified forensic Pathologists’s at a University renowned for biomedical science research. Graduates will be prepared for job opportunities such as death investigation, assisting the Pathologists’s in autopsy performance, and working in police organizations, prosecutors’ offices, and departments of forensic medicine.
The program also offers preparation for medical school and a specialization in forensic pathology.
In addition to the 30-credit full-time program, a dual-degree MS/JM is offered with the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL). Through a sharing of credits between the two universities, students may earn a Master of Science from UMB and a Juris Masters from CUPL. This is a nonthesis, full-time, one-year program available to UMB and CUPL Juris Masters (JM) students only. Students in this option earn 20 credits at UMB and 65 credits at CUPL and are awarded the MS by UMB and the JM by CUPL. Specifically, 10 credits of coursework from the CUPL are applied to the MS degree.
Program Admission
The Master of Science in Forensic Medicine program is designed for individuals who have an undergraduate degree and a background in health or biological sciences. Candidates with backgrounds in other areas such as forensic studies, criminal justice, and legal studies also may be considered, provided they have the prerequisite coursework cited below.
Candidates who wish to enter the MS in Forensic Medicine program must have a bachelor’s degree (BA or BS) from an accredited U.S. institution. The students’ undergraduate program must reflect the successful completion of the following coursework: biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, mathematics, and English composition. International candidates with a bachelor’s degree in medicine (BM) or a similar degree who possess adequate preparation for the graduate program also may be considered. An outstanding candidate will demonstrate proficiency in anatomy and physiology.
In addition to qualifications previously noted, candidates for admission must meet the minimum qualifications and standards established by the Graduate School. Graduate Record Examinations scores are required to be considered for admission. In addition, an interview may be requested. International students must provide current, official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (minimum score of 80 for the internet-based test) or the International English Language Testing System (minimum score of Band 7). Application deadlines and required credentials are regularly published by the Graduate School and the Forensic Medicine program.
Degree Requirements
The master’s degree program requires a minimum of 30 credits. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 to remain in good standing in the program. A complete description of progression guidelines and degree requirements is provided in the Degree Requirements section of this catalog.
Required Courses
Courses Offered By CUPL (Beijing)
Before Enrollment at UMB:
Introduction to Forensic Science Evidence Investigation
Forensic Biological Evidence Clinical Forensic Medicine
Available Electives