Police, science teachers, photographers, forensic science enthusiasts, and CSI “wannabes” take note: registration is now open for a summer institute that places participants on a path to becoming a certified CSI sleuth. The Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Summer Institute is a nine-credit program that immerses students in photographic documentation, fingerprint processing, body fluid collection, analysis of blood splatter patterns, preservation and packaging physical evidence, and participation in a mock murder investigation.
“We don't want to just make our students well-informed, we want to make sure each student leaves the Institute with the actual skills necessary to process an actual homicide crime scene,” said Ted Robinson, associate professor of forensic sciences and author of Crime Scene Photography. “By gaining detailed coverage of the theories and concepts of crime scene processing, students who complete the Institute will be very competitive when applying for CSI jobs.”
The institute can lead to professional certification as a crime scene investigator by the International Association for Identification (IAI), and satisfies three of the five courses required to complete the GW Graduate Certificate in Forensic Investigations. In addition, students can apply credits received through the institute toward GW’s Master’s Degree in Forensic Science.
“One of the great aspects of the CSI Summer Institute is that the three courses are offered in a hybrid-online format, which is convenient for students,” said Robinson. “But what makes this institute particularly valuable is the lab week, where the students come to the GW campus for an intensive immersion in every aspect of crime scene processing.”
The institute features two seminars taught by Ross Gardener, author of Practical Crime Scene Processing and Investigation, one of the books used by IAI to certify investigators. Gardener will lecture on crime scene methodologies and blood spatter analysis.