Forensic Science Communications Program

Learn the critical thinking skills necessary to communicate forensic science during court proceedings.

Have questions? Attend a webinar on October 2, 12鈥�1 p.m., to learn more.

We鈥檙e offering a $200 program discount. Full program price is typically $1,800.

Quick Details

The Forensic Science Communications Program focuses on interactions with juries and is designed for law enforcement officers, detectives, forensic scientists and legal professionals seeking to communicate forensics with stakeholders.

Through interactive seminars, participants gain enhanced perspective about how forensic science may be communicated. Seminars examine how language may be used to:

  • Communicate for juries the journey that forensic evidence may take
  • Communicate forensic science鈥檚 influence on decision making before a court proceeding
  • Situate forensic science within the context of a case
  • Suggest connections within a case developed through forensic science

Program Format: Live, instructor-led via Zoom

Total Hours: 15 total hours includes six, 2.5 hour seminars

Tuition: $1,599 for the full program, or $300 for each individual seminar

Materials: Tuition includes all course materials.

Have questions?

Upcoming instructor-led program dates

Register for the full program or select individual seminars of interest.

Dates Schedule Register
February 10鈥揗arch 24 (Class not held March 17) Program meets each Tuesday, 5:30鈥�8 p.m.
February 10 Seminar 1: Communicating through forensic evidence
February 17 Seminar 2: Developing connections through forensic evidence
February 24 Seminar 3: Examining forensic evidence that lies outside pre-existing patterns
March 3 Seminar 4: Decision making using forensic evidence
March 10 Seminar 5: Wanting what isn鈥檛 there: Addressing a jury鈥檚 desire for more forensic evidence
March 24 Seminar 6: Sociocultural distrust of science: How do you change a jury鈥檚 relationship with forensic evidence?

Learn More: Forensic Science Communications Program

  • Police officers and detectives
  • Lawyers (defense and prosecutor)
  • Junior attorneys
  • Legal assistants
  • Expert witnesses and those who prepare them to give testimony
  • Document administrators and anyone who handles documents in advance of trials

Seminar one: Communicating through forensic evidence

  • Examine how to label forensic evidence in ways that will connect with juries
  • Discover how to group together for juries forensic evidence with common purposes
  • Analyze how to help juries situate forensic evidence within different contexts

Seminar two: Developing connections through forensic evidence

  • Investigate how conversational language can distinguish for juries how forensic science may and may not shape a case
  • Discover how to use conversational language to define for juries the elements of conditionality, causation, correlation and cause and effect

Seminar three: Examining forensic evidence that lies outside pre-existing patterns

  • Investigate how to help juries weigh the importance of outliers within forensic science
  • Discover how to help juries consider the following statement: Just because something occasionally happens does not mean that it frequently happens

Seminar four: Decision making using forensic evidence

  • Describe how to communicate to juries the many possible pathways that forensic evidence can take before it arrives in a courtroom
  • Examine how to communicate the influence of forensic evidence on decision making before cases arrive in a courtroom
  • Encourage juries to review decision making that occurred based on forensic evidence
  • Help juries examine how alternative decision making based on forensic evidence may or may not reshape a case

Seminar five: Wanting what isn鈥檛 there: Addressing a jury鈥檚 desire for more forensic evidence

  • Investigate how to help juries understand what is possible within the field of forensic science
  • Promote juries use of current forensic science to formulate conclusions

Seminar six: Sociocultural distrust of science: How do you change a jury鈥檚 relationship with forensic evidence?

  • Investigate why jury members may develop a distrust of science as they navigate within and outside of different communities
  • Examine how to help juries relate to forensic evidence in productive ways
There are no prerequisites for this course.

You will earn a certificate of completion from Towson University upon completion of the program, or upon completion of each individual seminar. There is no industry certification given for this course.

Keri-Anne Croce, Ph.D. has 24 years of experience in the field of communicating science. Dr. Croce has been published in journals such as The Journal of Forensic Science Education and Journal of College Science Teaching. She co-authored the book Developing Science Literacy in the 21st Century. Among her many grants, Dr. Croce received the Tall-Wiedefeld Society Award for her work helping students learn to communicate science. She has taught thousands of individuals how to persuade others using science and mathematics.

Listed are the technology requirements needed to enroll in and complete for the Forensic Science Communications Program.

Hardware Requirements

  • This program can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
  • Webcams are strongly recommended.

Software Requirements

  • PC: Windows XP or later.
  • Mac: OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 or later.
  • Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
  • Microsoft Word (not included in enrollment).
  • Windows Media Player.
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the Acrobat Reader.
  • Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other

  • Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

*Note: WIOA and other tuition assistance programs are not eligible for course discounts.