Scientific Competency

Skyler Williams
Pittstown, NJ

Forensic science is a discipline that unites science with criminal and civil laws. Evidence from crime scenes is examined through rigorous analysis to ensure that justice is served for those who have been wronged. As a forensic scientist you must be observant, patient, and confident in your scientific knowledge. Cedar Crest ensures that the students who attend will come out ready to conquer the world of forensic science with scientific competency. 

At Cedar Crest, students are privileged with being educated in all facets of forensic science. The curriculum is informative with experts of the field teaching and supporting the success of the students and their understanding of the material. Being scientifically competent is more than being able to take an exam, it is being able to think critically and execute your knowledge in an efficient manner. The MSFS program is built around a foundation of research and students can develop confidence and competency in the lab. 

Cedar Crest’s education is more than just sitting in a classroom. The students can ‘get their hands dirty’ and experience what it would be like conducting actual case work, and are able to apply what they have learned using quality instrumentation for pattern analysis, crime scene reconstruction, microscopy, DNA analysis, etc. The research that is conducted at Cedar Crest is supported by the faculty and their expertise and students can make connections with alumni and other professionals in the field. 

I have only been at Cedar Crest for a semester, and I have already gained so much more than I have expected. I feel supported and assured that every day is an opportunity to learn something new or perfect the knowledge and skills that I have already acquired. Every class that I have attended thus far offers the opportunity for mastery and allows me to build skills that elsewhere I would not have the opportunity to learn. For example, during Recent Advances in Forensic Biology, I was fortunate to learn how to conduct statistical interpretation of mixtures by hand, even though software would gather this data being able to do the work by hand allowed for a higher level of comprehension. I know that when I graduate from the MSFS program I will be ready to confidently apply my knowledge to whatever discipline I choose.