Full Course List
VME 6052 CREDITS: 3
In recent years, both state and federal laws pertaining to animal cruelty have evolved significantly. Actions that were previously considered non-offenses are now being prosecuted on misdemeanor and felony levels. Because these convictions can carry significant sentences, juries expect to see the same level of crime scene processing and evidence handling that would be applied to crimes against humans.
VME 6053 CREDITS: 3
This course provides an introduction to skeletal trauma in non-human remains. In the course of this class, we will cover blunt force, sharp force, projectile, and fighting trauma including the mechanisms of injury. Also covered will be skeletal evidence of other types of abuse including starvation, infection, or neglect. Skeletal pathology will be addressed. Taphonomy will also be discussed particularly in reference to distinguishing postmortem damage from antemortem or perimortem trauma. Learning objectives will be accomplished through a combination of lecture material, readings, online active discussions and case analyses, and a final case analysis presentation.
VME 6054 CREDITS: 3
Students completing this course will gain a better understanding of the fundamental concepts of evidence, burden and standard of proof, judge and jury, types of evidence, witnesses, degrees of certainty, and other relevant aspects of the principles of evidence in a legal investigation.
VME 6051 CREDITS: 3
Over the last decade, criminal penalties for animal cruelty have dramatically increased, as has the prosecution of such cases. This change has been closely linked to growing recognition of the relationship between cruelty to animals and interpersonal violence. Once a subject of common anecdotal knowledge — this connection has been substantiated by a significant body of work in social science.
VME 6575 CREDITS: 3
This course will introduce the student to the application of veterinary medicine to the forensic sciences. Course topics will focus on the interpretations of injury patterns, cause, manner and mechanism of death. Upon completion of this course, the student will have basic knowledge of the pathological documentation required for crimes involving animals, including recognition of abuse, crime scene investigation, and interacting with the legal community.
ENY 6706 CREDITS: 3
Forensic scientists, crime scene technicians, and medicolegal death investigators are continually faced with establishing a postmortem interval (or time since death) in medicolegal investigations. Students will learn the proper evidence techniques for the documentation, collection, and preservation of entomological evidence as well as how to calculate a minimum postmortem interval from entomological evidence.
VME 6056 CREDITS: 3
Animal law is a quickly growing field and is becoming essential to social policy in the United States as well as around the world. This course introduces and surveys important overarching legal themes that occur throughout the unique relationship between humans and animals.
VME 6574 CREDITS: 3
Description: TBD
VME 6578 CREDITS: 3
This course provides an introduction to the non-human skeleton emphasizing the general identification of complete and fragmentary skeletal remains. This course will cover bone biology, development and anatomy, taphonomy, age, and sex. This knowledge forms the underpinning for advanced study in veterinary forensic osteology or zooarchaeolgy. Learning objectives will be accomplished through a combination of lecture material, readings, quizzes, a case study, and online active discussions.
VME 6577 CREDITS: 3
Veterinarians who perform postmortems as part of a crime investigation require a solid knowledge of pathology and postmortem skills. This course strengthens and broadens students’ knowledge of the pathologic basis of disease that forms the basis of understanding lesions due to natural and traumatic causes. The postmortem technique itself will be covered in depth. The course teaches astute observation, accurate description, and educated interpretation of the changes observed at postmortem, in addition to postmortem case management. Special topics included in the course are techniques for examination of the neck region in cases of suspected strangulation, cardiac examination, sampling for histopathology, sudden unexpected and peri-anesthetic deaths. Critical appraisal of the scientific literature will help veterinarians determine if journal articles or book chapters are based on sound scientific methods. Tips on optimizing your pathology cases with a pathologist are also discussed.
Prerequisite:
DVM or equivalent degree holders only (terminal degree in Veterinary Medicine). Students who do not meet this prerequisite should take VME6576.
VME 6579 CREDITS: 3
Students completing this course will gain an understanding of how radiology and imaging can be used in the veterinary forensic sciences. Topics include: imaging modalities, the performance, interpretation and reportage of veterinary imaging studies as applied to the courts or the law.
VME 6570 CREDITS: 3
Students completing this course will have an understanding of the fundamental concepts of animal conservation and protection. The course will also address the applicability and importance of forensic science in wildlife investigations, including an introduction to the scientific and forensic method, crime scene analysis and processing, types of evidence, evidence collection, and field analyses.
VME 6571 CREDITS: 3
An overview of Forensic Applied Animal Behavior, which is defined as the application of knowledge of animal behavior to the purpose of the law. This includes documenting the behavioral effects of abuse, neglect or inadequate care that may be in violation of laws, regulations, and industry or community standards.
VME 6572 CREDITS: 3
This course will introduce agricultural animal welfare with a focus on the legal aspects associated with abusive care of agricultural animals. This course explores scientific and ethical dialogue on agricultural animal welfare issues. Completing this course will provide an understanding of current U.S. laws governing agricultural animal welfare as well as the ability to minimally evaluate and assess the welfare of an agricultural animal.
VME 6576 CREDITS: 3
Introduces and develops in-depth the field of veterinary forensic pathology, including how to perform and document, through photographs and written reports, a professional necropsy. Introduces and develops in-depth mechanisms and manifestations of death commonly encountered in veterinary forensics (starvation, etc.), using case examples.
VME 6573 CREDITS: 3
This course will introduce the student to the basic understanding of DNA and how it is used to identify species and individuals and provide evidence for criminal investigations. Topics will include DNA basics for forensics, collection and processing of DNA evidence, data analysis and interpretation, written reports and courtroom testimony. Upon completion of this course, the student will have basic knowledge of how DNA is used to identify species, gender and individual identification, chain of custody, how to write a report and what is expected during testimony.
VME 6615 CREDITS: 3
This course will encompass the basic concepts of veterinary forensic toxicology including basic principles of veterinary toxicology, legal aspects of veterinary toxicology, utilization of veterinary diagnostic laboratories in forensic cases, conducting veterinary toxicology field investigations, history-taking, and proper collection, handling and preservation of samples. Species-relevant aspects of veterinary toxicology will be covered.
VME 6616 CREDITS: 3
Drawing from the ‘Asian Vulture Crisis’, this course introduces the notion that veterinary agents, as administered to livestock animals/horses, exotic animals, companion animals and sometimes to people, may pose considerable repercussions to wildlife and the environment. Students will review the necessary features of a healthy, balanced ecosystem and learn to recognize the species that are most susceptible to exposure in conjunction with key toxicological concepts and terminologies and in relation to the different categories of veterinary agents. The various monitoring techniques used to determine their presence in the terrestrial and aquatic environment will also be discussed.
VME 6617 CREDITS: 3
Through a series of case study-related assignments and online discussions, students will learn to recognize then assess the harmful consequences that arise when various classes of veterinary agent are administered and the different means by which they gain entry and persist in the environment. A comprehensive overview of risk assessment approaches used to mitigate these hazards and the suite of actions that can be taken to pre-empt and mitigate risks, will be provided. Students will also gain deeper insight into the breadth of pertinent environmental and wildlife regulations, with examples of relevant stakeholders from whom to gather salient information and form partnerships for best management and drug administration practices within their own communities.
VME 6934 CREDITS: 1(8 max)
Self Study Course
VME 6905 CREDITS: 1-4
Self Study Course
VME 6934 CREDITS: 1-4
Self Study Course
VME 6910 CREDITS: 1-5(S/U)
Self Study Course
VME 6971 CREDITS: 1-6 (6 max)(S/U)
Self Study Course
WIS 5562 CREDITS: 3
The discipline of conservation medicine results from a long evolution of trans-disciplinary thinking, merged from the health and ecological sciences. This course will examine the links between climate, habitat and land use, emergence and re-emergence of infectious disease, parasites, and environmental contaminants, and the maintenance of biodiversity as an indicator of the ecohealth of a community. The course will describe conservation medicine in a historical context, and includes case studies and applied techniques.
WIS 6557 CREDITS: 3
Students completing this course will have a better understanding of the legal considerations surrounding wildlife and animals in general. Students will have learned the laws and policies applicable to national and international wildlife and environmental conservation, the history of animal legal issues, and will have become familiar with the organizations tasked with developing and enforcing the law. They will also have an understanding of the cultural and societal concerns and contemporary conservation issues. Learning objectives will be accomplished through a combination of lecture material, readings, demonstrations, writing assignments, and online active discussions. Case studies will be used to supplement the lessons.
WIS 6559 CREDITS: 3
Students completing this course will have an understanding of wildlife ecology, biodiversity, current environmental and wildlife concerns, and wildlife and environmental forensics, as well as an overview of some wildlife forensic techniques. The student will have learned some of the various considerations in wildlife management and population assessments, in addition to how to evaluate animal populations for decreases, altered structure, or changing adaptations. The student will be familiar with the current trends in wildlife and ecology threats, including poaching, illegal trade, and environmental disasters, as well as some investigative tools such as soil and isotopic analysis, chemical fingerprinting, and microscopy, that can be used to combat these issues.
WIS 6561 CREDITS: 3
This course will serve as an introduction to wildlife crime scene investigations. The purpose of the course is to give the student an overview of procedures and protocols that can be used when processing a wildlife crime scene and will discuss in detail various types of evidence.
WIS 6934 CREDITS: 3
The value of the canine nose is well-documented, and working dogs are being increasingly utilized for their olfactory skills in conservation. Dogs are used in forensic science, in the calculation of population trends of endangered species, in the eradication of invasive species in protected environments, in the identification of disease, and in the identification of infestations and chemical contaminants.
WIS 6576 CREDITS: 3
This course introduces issues of human and wildlife conflict both in historical context & current conservation. Explore solutions, including innovative & traditional agricultural practices, hunting & tourism as potential means of off-setting the cost of wildlife damage, & policy development at the local, regional, and national or international levels.
WIS 6421 CREDITS: 3
This course provides a global assessment of toxicological stressors, including pesticides, environmental contaminants, and other emerging chemical threats, and reviews the impact on wildlife, through an ecohealth perspective. Outlines the physiological and pathological impacts of toxins in wildlife as it relates to the investigative process for wildlife forensics.
WIS 6553 CREDITS: 3
Examine the pathology and pathogenesis of infectious and non-infectious diseases, traumatic injury, and poisoning that are a feature of wildlife forensic cases. Recognition of aspects of gross and histopathological pathology and correlate changes with clinical pathology and other data. Understand infectious agents and involvement in the production of pathological lesions.
WIS 6425 CREDITS: 3
Carrion Ecology and Evolution includes a range of organisms including molecular, bacterial, fungal, invertebrate, and vertebrate communities. Intra & interspecific interactions related to population biology, community ecology, & processes that manifest into habitats and ecosystems will be addressed. A multidisciplinary view of organisms will provide the basis for understanding decomposition.
WIS 6556 CREDITS: 3
This course will serve as an introduction to wildlife trade and corresponding issues, especially those surrounding The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and other legislation. At the successful completion of this course, students will have an understanding of basic wildlife trade issues and concerns, including governance and controls (both nationally and internationally), legislation, and agreements regarding major industries such as timber and fisheries, as well as regulations surrounding plants.
VME 6580 CREDITS: 3
Students completing this course will have an understanding of the various forms of cybercrime from the perspective of wildlife investigations. The course will cover not only aspects of computer forensics, mobile device technology, email and network forensics, but also the basics of electronic evidence and processing an electronic crime scene. It will also provide a comprehensive analysis of the legal principles that apply to cybercrime and electronic trade in wildlife. Students will have learned the laws and policies applicable to privacy and digital rights and the acts and statutes governing digital technology. They will also have an understanding of how online investigations help in the fight against wildlife crime. Learning objectives will be accomplished through a combination of lecture material, readings, writing assignments, and online active discussions.
