College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice
The Forensic Testimony Minor is designed for students who wish to work as a forensic analyst within the criminal justice system. Students wanting to pursue such a career will need to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in the area in which they wish to specialize—those working in a crime lab will need a degree in chemistry or biology, those working in computer forensics will need a degree in computer science, those working in forensic accounting will need a degree in accounting, those working as a forensic psychologist will need a degree in psychology, and so on. As part of their job, forensic analysts are required to testify in court about the forensic analyses they conduct. This minor is designed to provide students with the skills to do this. Specifically, students will learn about the procedural and evidentiary rules that apply to criminal trials and will have the experience of testifying as a witness in a criminal trial in a mock trial setting. Additionally, students will learn the communication skills necessary to be an effective witness.
Students must have a GPA of 2.0 or higher in Forensic Testimony courses, USU courses and Overall to declare for this Minor. Students must have a GPA of 2.0 or higher in Forensic Testimony courses and an overall and USU GPA of 2.0 or higher to graduate. Forensic Testimony courses over 10 years old do not count toward the major requirement. 50% of classes need to be taken at USU. Classes taken P/F and earning a “P” grade cannot be counted toward the major without special permission.
Classes used for the Forensic Testimony Minor cannot be applied to another major or minor. However, classes for the Forensic Testimony minor can overlap with a certificate.
