The famous character of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and TV shows such as Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) demonstrate the use of science by forensic scientists or criminalists to solve criminal cases. However, how forensic science really work?

The course aims to discuss the scientific principles and techniques behind the work of forensic scientists. It will utilize case studies (from Pakistan and abroad) to shed light on the forensic Lab's role and the Criminalist/forensic scientist in solving crimes. The course will answer questions such as: How did forensic science evolve? How a crime scene is secured, and physical evidence collected, dispatched, stored, and analyzed? How can we use blood stains and patterns to differentiate natural death from murder? How can we collect and develop fingerprints from paper, glass, and metal? How long has someone been dead? What if they have been dead for a long time? Is DNA chemistry so powerful? How can we tell if a fire incident was natural or some fire accelerant was used? How drugs and poisons are analyzed? Can a little piece of a carpet fluff, or a single hair, convict someone? How did J. F. Kenedy die? How did the forensic laboratory helped solve Zainab's murder?

This introductory course aims to make the subject of forensic science clear and comprehensible to a wide variety of students from diverse academic backgrounds. It introduces various aspects of the forensic laboratory and the forensic sciences used in collecting, preserving, and analyzing physical evidence from the crime scene.

Title: Introduction to Forensic Science

Term: Summer I - 2021

Course Outline: Download

Instructor(s): Dr. Muhammad Zaheer

Registration link: Click here