Courses

All Master’s and Graduate Certificate students must take 5 core courses. Master’s students also take 5 elective courses.

(Unless otherwise noted, all courses are assigned a letter grade.)

Core Courses

Course NumberCourse TitleCreditsSpringSummerFall
VME6052Animal Crime Scene Processing3X
VME6054Scientific and Legal Principles of Forensic Evidence3X
VME6051Cruelty to Animals and Interpersonal Violence3X
VME6575Veterinary Forensic Medicine3X
ENY6706Forensic Entomology3X

Elective Courses

Course NumberCourse TitleCreditsSpringSummerFall
VME6616Veterinary Drug Ecotoxicology 3X(2024)
VME6576Veterinary Forensic Pathology II (VME 6577 is the prerequisite for this course)3X
VME6573Applications of DNA for Companion Animals and Wildlife Cases3X
VME6578Forensic Veterinary Osteology3X
VME6580Cybercrime in Wildlife Investigations3X
VME6905Problems in Veterinary Medical Sciences (self study course)1-4XXX
VME6934Seminar in Veterinary Pathology (self study course)1-8XXX
WIS6421Wildlife Toxicology: The Ecohealth Perspective3X
WIS6557 International Wildlife Conservation Law, Policy & Ethics3X
GMS6350Forensic Investigations3XXX
GMS6359Principles of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis3X
VME6053Skeletal Trauma Analysis in Animals3X
VME6056Animal Law3X
VME6571Forensic Applied Animal Behavior3X
VME6572Forensic Aspects of Agricultural Animal Welfare3X
VME6574Aquatic Animal Pathology & Forensic Science3X
VME6577Veterinary Forensic Pathology I (prerequisite course for VME 6576 Veterinary Forensic Pathology II)3X
VME6579Veterinary Forensic Radiology and Imaging3X
VME6615Veterinary Forensic Toxicology3X
VME6617 Environmental Risk Assessment of Veterinary Drugs 3X
VME6830Principles of All-Hazard Responding for Animal Welfare3X
WIS5562Conservation Medicine3X
WIS6425Carrion Ecology and Evolution3X
WIS6559Forensic Science in Conservation Biology3X
WIS6563Wildlife Forensic Pathology3X
VME6581Working Dogs in Conservation and Forensic Sciences3X
GMS6357Forensic Photography***3X
WIS6051Wildlife Tracks and Sign3X

Electives – In-Person

We offer opportunities for hands-on training with our in-person labs through the Forensic Medicine program. The labs are 5 days and count as 3 academic credits upon completion.

Course #Course NameCreditsTypeFallSpringSummer
GMS6357L***Forensic Photography Laboratory3ElectiveX
GMS6359LPrinciples of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Laboratory3ElectiveX
GMS6352LArtifacts of Decomposition Laboratory3ElectiveX
GMS6362LPrinciples of Crime Scene Investigation Laboratory3ElectiveTBD

Non-Thesis Option

Choose 5 elective courses to total 15 credit hours of electives.

(Unless otherwise noted, all courses are assigned a letter grade.)

Note: All non-thesis master’s students are required to complete and pass a written and oral final exam in their last semester in order to graduate.

Thesis Option

Earn 15 credit hours of electives, including thesis electives listed below.
(Unless otherwise noted, all courses are assigned a letter grade.)

Thesis Elective Courses

Course NumberCourse TitleCreditsSpringSummerFall
VME6934Special Topics in Veterinary Forensic Sciences1-4XXX
VME6910Supervised Research1-5 (S/U)XXX
VME6971Masters Research1-6 (6 max) (S/U)XXX