Piedmont University to Begin Offering Minor in Forensic Science This Fall

Piedmont University’s successful forensic science program expands this fall, with the addition of a minor designed to prepare students to serve a wide variety of investigative agencies.

“The forensic science minor will provide students with the core knowledge they need to lead criminal investigations,” said Professor Bruce Willis, a former special agent with Georgia Bureau of Investigation and criminal investigations coordinator with the Georgia Public Safety Training Center.  

“Students will graduate as highly trained professionals ready for immediate employment.”

Banks County Sheriff Carlton Speed agreed that graduates of the forensic science minor will be assets to agencies such as his.

“These highly trained individuals will help solve crimes, locate fugitives, and oftentimes be the voice of the unknown,” he said.

The forensic science minor consists of 18 credit hours. Students will take two required courses — Introduction to Criminal Justice and Criminal Investigations. In addition, they’ll choose another four courses from Piedmont’s forensic science curriculum, courses such as Crime Scene Processing and True Death Investigations.

“Students will learn to create offender profiles, to detect nonverbal clues, to navigate the many complexities of a criminal investigation,” said Willis. 

The forensic science minor nicely complements many major fields of study.

“For instance, we have students who are majoring in biology and want to become crime scene investigators. Their major is going to provide them with that strong scientific foundation, while their minor in forensic science is going to provide them with industry-specific knowledge and skills,” Willis said.

“A math major might choose to minor in forensic science in order to one day specialize in white-collar crime investigations. The forensic science minor allows students to create a course of study tailored to their specific career goals.”

Students who complete the forensic science minor will find employment opportunities with local, state, and federal agencies. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that demand for forensic science technicians will grow by 11 percent through 2031, much faster than average for all occupations. 

The new minor expands Piedmont University’s highly successful forensic science program. Piedmont began offering a Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science in 2015 with a handful of students enrolled. Today, more than 50 students are majoring in forensic science, representing states throughout the Southeast. Alumni of the forensic science program are now serving at law enforcement agencies across the nation.

The forensic science minor launches in fall 2023.

Learn more about forensic science at Piedmont University at piedmont.edu/forensic-science.