OSU-CHS will offer a doctoral degree in forensic sciences

TULSA — The Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences will become the third university in the nation to offer a Ph.D. in forensic sciences.

Sam Houston State University and West Virginia University are the only other institutions that have a doctoraldegree program in forensic sciences, OSU officials said.

The Board of Regents for OSU and the A&M Colleges approved the new program at its meeting Friday.

Historically, the highest attainable degree in forensic science has been the master’s degree. This shortage of doctoral programs in forensic science has made it difficult for universities, law enforcement agencies, and forensic laboratories to recruit Ph.D.-trained forensic scientists, said Robert Allen, head of the School of Forensic Sciences at OSU-CHS.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for Oklahoma State to be the leader in forensic science education,” Allen said in a news release. “With the rapid pace of technological developments in forensic science, we need more forensic scientists trained at the Ph.D. level to advance the field of forensic science and to push the boundaries of scientific inquiry.”

The OSU-CHS School of Forensic Sciences will start accepting applications for fall 2018. Interested candidates must have a master’s degree in forensic sciences or be willing to complete foundation coursework in forensic sciences. Both classroom and online courses will be offered.

OSU-CHS currently offers a master of science in forensic sciences in the following seven tracks: death scene investigation, forensic biology/ DNA, forensic chemistry, forensic psychology, arson and explosives investigations, forensic document examination, and forensic science administration.

For more information on the new Ph.D. program, contact Aaron Christensen at aaron.t.christensen@ okstate.edu or 918-5611108.