Few active graduate degrees use the exact title “online master’s in criminalistics.” California students will find a broader set of online programs titled forensic science, forensic sciences, chemistry, crime scene investigation, or professional science master’s. The titles overlap, but the curricula and career purposes differ substantially.
A laboratory criminalist analyzes physical evidence using chemistry, biology, microscopy, instrumentation, statistics, and validated laboratory procedures. A crime scene investigator documents scenes, recognizes and collects evidence, maintains chain of custody, and may perform photography, fingerprint processing, or reconstruction. Some professionals do both, but a graduate program focused on scene investigation is not the same as one built around forensic chemistry or DNA analysis.
The distinction is especially relevant in California. The state’s Criminalist examination specification requires the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree with a major in a physical or biological science. It also specifies eight semester hours of general chemistry and three semester hours of quantitative analysis. A master’s degree containing “forensic science” or “criminalistics” in its title does not replace missing undergraduate science coursework.
The programs below are credible online options relevant to criminalistics, laboratory forensic science, or crime scene work. They are not presented as every possible forensic graduate program available to California residents. Generic criminal justice programs with a few forensic electives are excluded from the main list because they do not provide the same scientific preparation.
Comparing online criminalistics and forensic science master’s programs
| School and program | Credential | Primary alignment | Credits | Online limitations or practical requirements | Published cost information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National University, Criminalistics specialization | Master of Forensic Sciences | Laboratory criminalistics | 36 | Some Criminalistics courses may require in-person laboratory participation | Estimated program cost of $25,830 |
| Alliant International University, Criminalistics and Technology | MS in Forensic Science, Investigation, & Technology | Criminalistics, evidence, and applied technology | 33 units | Two on-site weekend residencies and a thesis | Current total not established in the reviewed material |
| University of Central Florida, Forensic Science track | MS in Chemistry | Forensic analysis, biochemistry, or professional practice | 32 to 34 | Fully online route available; some prerequisites and electives may not be online | Published nonresident rate of $1,234.15 per credit |
| Stevenson University, Forensic Science | MS in Forensic Science | Forensic biology or chemistry | 36 | Advertised as 100 percent online | $719 per credit |
| Oklahoma State University, Forensic Sciences | MS in Forensic Sciences | Biology/DNA, chemistry/toxicology, investigation, or pattern evidence | 32 for the nonthesis route | Online students complete a creative-component capstone | Current total not established in the reviewed material |
| Grand Canyon University, Forensic Science | MS in Forensic Science | Broad criminalistics curriculum | 36 | Online delivery is advertised, but the format of laboratory work is not clearly explained | $610 per credit |
| University of Florida, online forensic concentrations | Usually MS in Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences major | DNA, drug chemistry, toxicology, or general forensic science | 32 | Entirely online and primarily coursework-based | Current authoritative rate not established in the reviewed material |
| Stevenson University, Crime Scene Investigation | MS in Crime Scene Investigation | Scene documentation, evidence processing, and pattern analysis | 36 | Advertised as 100 percent online; includes a thesis | $719 per credit |
| Arizona State University, Forensic Science | Professional Science Master’s | Professional advancement, research, and leadership | 30 | No campus laboratory residency identified | Use ASU’s current tuition estimator |
| Florida International University, Forensic Science | Professional Science Master’s | Forensic science management and agency operations | 33 | Asynchronous cohort program with practical exercises; some plans include an industrial internship | Published cost of attendance was $21,566 when researched |
Published per-credit rates are tuition figures, not guaranteed totals. Books, laboratory materials, travel, residencies, internship costs, and other expenses can increase the amount paid. California enrollment authorization also was not independently established for every out-of-state institution in this comparison.
California-based programs with criminalistics concentrations
California residents have two in-state private university options with explicitly named criminalistics concentrations. They differ in science prerequisites, delivery details, and required travel.
National University Master of Forensic Sciences, Criminalistics Specialization
National University offers a 36-semester-credit Master of Forensic Sciences with Criminalistics and Investigation specializations. The Criminalistics specialization is one of the closest matches to the search for an online criminalistics master’s degree in California.
Admission to the Criminalistics specialization generally requires an undergraduate background in laboratory or physical science, such as chemistry or biology. An exception can be approved by the academic program director, but the published requirement shows that this is intended as advanced forensic study rather than an introductory conversion degree for applicants with no science background.
The curriculum includes trace evidence, advanced forensic toxicology, advanced forensic serology and DNA analysis, and a supervised research project. The broader degree also addresses crime scene investigation, digital evidence, law and criminal procedure, forensic pathology, and research. This creates a mix of scientific analysis and investigative context.
National University advertises online, in-person, and hybrid delivery, with monthly starts and an average completion time of 24 months. The university also warns that some Criminalistics courses may require in-person laboratory participation. The current public material does not identify every affected course or specify where all required laboratory sessions take place. It therefore should not be described as an unconditionally fully online degree.
The university’s published estimate for the 36-credit program is $25,830. That estimate is based on a $683-per-credit rate and listed course-material fees. It is more useful than a bare per-credit figure, although travel or other costs associated with laboratory attendance could raise the actual expense.
This route is aligned most closely with applicants who already have a chemistry, biology, or related laboratory-science degree and want graduate study in trace evidence, toxicology, serology, or DNA. Its science-based admission expectation also provides a clearer academic match for laboratory criminalistics than a general investigation degree. Even so, California employers evaluate the complete academic record, including the applicant’s undergraduate major and individual chemistry courses.
Alliant International University MS in Forensic Science, Investigation, & Technology
Alliant International University offers a 33-unit online MS in Forensic Science, Investigation, & Technology. Its three concentrations are Criminalistics and Technology, Crime Scene and Incident Investigation, and Criminal Investigative Intelligence and Analysis.
The Criminalistics and Technology concentration covers evidence identification, collection, preservation, and analysis. Published subject areas include DNA, trace and physical evidence, toxicology, pharmacology, and identification evidence. The degree also integrates law, ethics, technology, simulations, laboratory activities, and research.
Coursework is primarily asynchronous, with optional synchronous sessions. Two on-site weekend residencies and a research thesis are required. This gives the program more scheduled practical and research activity than a purely coursework-based online degree, but it also introduces travel and lodging expenses. The current public page does not specify where all residencies are held or clearly separate activities completed online from those completed during the in-person weekends.
Alliant is a direct match based on the named Criminalistics and Technology concentration. Its content spans scientific evidence, investigative procedures, and technology rather than concentrating exclusively on chemistry or molecular biology. The public materials reviewed for this program did not provide enough detail to establish a specific undergraduate science prerequisite or current total cost.
Applicants targeting California laboratory positions should map their existing transcript against the relevant employer requirements. The Alliant concentration includes criminalistics subjects, but graduate classes in evidence and toxicology do not by themselves repair a missing physical or biological science major or missing general and quantitative chemistry credits.
Online programs oriented toward laboratory criminalistics
These degrees have stronger connections to forensic chemistry, biology, DNA, toxicology, instrumental analysis, or other crime-laboratory disciplines. They are generally better aligned with science graduates than with applicants trying to avoid foundational laboratory coursework.
University of Central Florida Online Chemistry MS, Forensic Science Track
The University of Central Florida offers a 32-to-34-credit MS in Chemistry with a Forensic Science track. The available concentrations are Forensic Analysis, Forensic Biochemistry, and Forensic Professional. Both thesis and nonthesis options are available.
The chemistry degree title signals the program’s analytical orientation. Course examples include forensic microscopy, biochemistry, ignitable-liquid analysis, analysis of biological materials, quality assurance, statistics, and expert testimony. Forensic Analysis is the more natural direction for applicants interested in physical evidence or chemical analysis, while Forensic Biochemistry aligns more closely with biological evidence and molecular work.
UCF states that the degree can be completed fully online. Not every elective or prerequisite is necessarily offered online, however. That limitation can affect students who need prerequisite science courses or want a particular specialized elective.
The thesis route requires original research. A distance student employed in a forensic laboratory may need a supervisor’s permission to use laboratory instrumentation for thesis work. In practical terms, the thesis is best suited to someone who already has approved access to a properly equipped laboratory. The nonthesis route avoids that research-access issue and is likely to be more workable for students without an employer laboratory.
At the time researched, UCF published a nonresident tuition rate of $1,234.15 per credit for this program. California residents would generally need to budget at the nonresident rate unless a different classification or arrangement applies.
UCF’s bachelor’s forensic science program appears in the current FEPAC directory, but the online Chemistry MS track is not listed there as a FEPAC-accredited graduate program. The bachelor’s accreditation cannot be transferred to a separate graduate credential.
This degree works better for applicants who already have substantial chemistry or biological-science preparation and want advanced analytical coursework. It is less suitable as a first exposure to college chemistry, laboratory measurement, or instrumental analysis.
Stevenson University Online Master of Science in Forensic Science
Stevenson University’s 36-credit MS in Forensic Science is offered 100 percent online, with concentrations in Forensic Biology and Forensic Chemistry. Among the programs reviewed, it publishes some of the most substantial undergraduate science expectations.
Applicants need preparation in general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, physics, and calculus or statistics, generally with associated laboratory coursework. Stevenson also publishes a 3.0 expectation for cumulative and science or mathematics GPA. These requirements make the program more appropriate for science graduates than for applicants whose previous education is limited to criminal justice.
The curriculum covers physical evidence at crime scenes, quality assurance and quality control, laboratory safety, serology and immunology, DNA analysis, trace evidence, toxicology, and expert-witness preparation. The two concentrations let students choose between biological evidence and chemistry-oriented analysis without losing the common professional subjects expected in forensic practice.
The official page identifies the degree as fully online and does not list a campus residency. Tuition is published at $719 per credit, with no additional university fees identified on the program page. Books, supplies, and other personal costs remain separate from the per-credit rate.
Because the curriculum is delivered online, the degree is most useful when layered onto prior laboratory education or current professional access to scientific facilities. Its admission standards help ensure that students arrive with undergraduate laboratory exposure, but online graduate coursework is not identical to repeated supervised work on analytical instruments.
Forensic Biology can support advanced study related to serology, DNA, and biological evidence. Forensic Chemistry is better aligned with trace evidence, controlled substances, toxicology, and analytical work. Actual eligibility for a California laboratory job will still rest on the complete science transcript and the requirements of the hiring agency.
Oklahoma State University Online MS in Forensic Sciences
Oklahoma State University offers a 32-credit nonthesis MS in Forensic Sciences that can be completed fully online. Its range of subject areas is broader than most programs in this list.
Online options include Forensic Biology/DNA, Forensic Chemistry/Toxicology, Forensic Investigative Sciences, Arson, Explosives, Firearms and Toolmarks, Forensic Crime Analysis, and Forensic Threat Assessment and Management. The Biology/DNA and Chemistry/Toxicology tracks can be completed online when the student selects the nonthesis route.
Common graduate subjects include criminalistics, forensic statistics, ethics, law and expert evidence, quality assurance, and forensic-science theory. Discipline-specific electives then shape the degree toward laboratory biology, chemistry, scene investigation, pattern evidence, or analytical work.
Online nonthesis students complete a creative-component capstone rather than a research thesis. The format removes the need for a campus-based thesis laboratory and improves access for working professionals. It also means that students seeking new bench skills must rely more heavily on their prior laboratory education, workplace access, or other practical experience.
The Forensic Biology/DNA and Forensic Chemistry/Toxicology tracks have the clearest connection to crime-laboratory employment. The Forensic Investigative Sciences track addresses crime scene processing, fingerprints, bloodstain pattern analysis, and related field subjects. It does not require prior forensic science experience and is more oriented toward scene or investigative practice than bench chemistry.
Oklahoma State describes the nonthesis degree in part as a program for professionals already working in forensic or related careers. That framing is consistent with the online structure. An employed analyst can apply advanced coursework to an existing laboratory environment, while a career changer without science or laboratory experience receives less direct practical preparation.
Grand Canyon University Online MS in Forensic Science
Grand Canyon University offers a 36-credit online MS in Forensic Science with courses delivered in eight-week terms. The published online tuition rate is $610 per credit, excluding fees, books, laboratory materials, and other expenses.
Applicants need a bachelor’s degree in forensic science or a related field, or a bachelor’s degree supplemented by specified preparation in chemistry, organic chemistry, and advanced biology. This prerequisite structure places the degree in the science-based category rather than the general criminal justice category.
The required curriculum is broad. It covers forensic ethics, quality assurance and quality control, crime scene processing, medicolegal death investigation, forensic statistics, microscopy, instrumental methods, body-fluid analysis, DNA, drug chemistry, toxicology, comparative evidence, and courtroom presentation.
GCU describes the curriculum as combining online coursework with laboratory-based education. The reviewed public page does not clearly explain whether those activities are virtual, home-based, locally arranged, or completed through travel. The practical format is therefore less transparent than at schools that either disclose a residency or explicitly state that no campus attendance is required.
Academically, the program touches many traditional criminalistics disciplines. It may suit a science graduate who wants a prescribed, wide-ranging curriculum rather than a narrow concentration. Students seeking entry-level bench positions need enough prior laboratory depth to complement the online graduate work, particularly in chemistry, instrumental analysis, microscopy, molecular biology, or whichever specialty they intend to pursue.
Specialized online forensic science degrees
Some online graduate programs provide advanced coursework in particular forensic disciplines without using a conventional MS in Forensic Science or Criminalistics title.
University of Florida Online Forensic Science Master’s Degrees
The University of Florida offers four online master’s concentrations: Forensic Science, Forensic DNA and Serology, Forensic Drug Chemistry, and Forensic Toxicology. Each requires 32 credits and is generally completed in two to three years. The programs are described as entirely online and include asynchronous study.
The exact credential title deserves attention. Most of the concentrations lead to a Master of Science in Pharmacy with a major in Pharmaceutical Sciences. The Forensic Science designation appears as the concentration rather than the primary degree title. The toxicology program uses different degree wording through Veterinary Medical Sciences.
The general Forensic Science concentration includes 18 required credits and 14 elective credits. Available areas include criminalistics, biological evidence, forensic DNA, bloodstain pattern analysis, drug analysis, toxicology, forensic medicine, anthropology, and laboratory quality assurance.
The concentration structure permits focused study without requiring a California student to relocate. DNA and Serology is the most relevant option for analysts working with biological evidence. Drug Chemistry aligns with controlled-substance analysis, while Toxicology addresses the analysis and interpretation of drugs, poisons, and related substances. The general concentration provides more flexibility across evidence categories.
These are coursework-based online degrees. No general campus residency was identified in the reviewed materials. They are appropriate for working professionals who need graduate-level specialization, but they do not provide the routine instrument access associated with an on-campus laboratory program.
The diploma wording may also matter to employers or to students pursuing a later academic path. It should be represented accurately as an MS in Pharmacy with a Pharmaceutical Sciences major where applicable, not shortened into an MS in Criminalistics.
Crime scene investigation rather than laboratory criminalistics
Crime scene education emphasizes recognition, documentation, collection, preservation, reconstruction, chain of custody, report writing, and courtroom communication. Chemistry and biology still inform the work, but the academic focus is different from training for a forensic chemist or DNA analyst.
Stevenson University Online MS in Crime Scene Investigation
Stevenson offers a separate 36-credit MS in Crime Scene Investigation in addition to its laboratory-oriented MS in Forensic Science. The CSI degree is delivered 100 percent online in eight-week sessions.
Published courses include Crime Scene Photography, Physical Evidence at Crime Scenes, Crime Scene Investigation, Pattern Analysis, Expert Witness Preparation and Practice, and The Crime Laboratory: Structure and Operations. Program outcomes address scene evaluation, evidence identification and collection, preservation, scientific literature analysis, quality assurance, safety, research, and communication in court.
The graduate catalog also describes a research project and thesis. No campus residency is disclosed in the reviewed program materials. Tuition is $719 per credit, and Stevenson states that its online programs have no additional institutional fees.
This degree is directed toward field and evidence-processing responsibilities. It fits professionals interested in crime scene technician, evidence, photography, pattern analysis, or scene investigation functions. It is not a substitute for graduate forensic chemistry or biology, nor does its title resolve missing undergraduate science requirements for a California criminalist position.
Applicants comparing Stevenson’s two degrees can use a straightforward division:
- Choose the MS in Forensic Science for graduate study in forensic biology or chemistry.
- Choose the MS in Crime Scene Investigation for scene documentation, evidence handling, pattern analysis, laboratory operations, and courtroom presentation.
California agencies structure CSI work differently. At one department, crime scene investigation may be a civilian position. At another, it may be an assignment reserved for sworn personnel. The same title can therefore represent different hiring pathways, authority, and training requirements.
Professional and management-focused forensic degrees
Professional science master’s programs combine technical content with leadership, management, policy, research, or professional practice. They are generally strongest for established practitioners and less useful as substitutes for foundational undergraduate science.
Arizona State University Online Professional Science Master’s in Forensic Science
Arizona State University’s online Professional Science Master’s in Forensic Science requires 30 credits across 10 classes, generally delivered in 7.5-week terms. It is designed primarily for professionals in forensic science, law enforcement, medicolegal, medical, and legal settings.
The program combines advanced forensic subjects with research, professional practice, and leadership. It is not presented as an intensive chemistry or biology conversion curriculum. No campus laboratory residency was identified in the reviewed program information.
The format fits analysts, investigators, attorneys, medical personnel, or related professionals seeking broader forensic knowledge or advancement. A career changer who lacks general chemistry, quantitative analysis, organic chemistry, biology, and laboratory coursework would still need to address those deficiencies separately for science-based criminalist positions.
A current authoritative program total was not available in the reviewed material. ASU calculates online tuition according to several factors, so its live tuition estimator is more useful than an unsupported fixed amount.
Florida International University Online Professional Science Master’s in Forensic Science
Florida International University offers a 33-credit online Professional Science Master’s in Forensic Science through an asynchronous cohort format. The program is advertised as a 16-month route and combines graduate forensic science with business and public-administration coursework.
The curriculum uses case studies and practical, profession-based exercises. Current pathways include forensic science management and veterinary forensic science investigation, with evolving catalog language for additional areas. Certain plans may include an industrial internship that depends on access to a suitable professional setting.
Normal admission expectations include a bachelor’s degree, a 3.0 GPA, at least one year of biology, chemistry, or physics, a statement of purpose, and two recommendations. An interview may also be part of the process.
The official program page listed an estimated cost of attendance of $21,566 when researched. Cost of attendance can include categories beyond tuition, so it should not be interpreted as a permanent tuition quote for every cohort.
FIU’s management pathway is primarily an advancement degree for professionals working in laboratories, agencies, or related organizations. Its blend of science, administration, and operations can support supervisory or organizational responsibilities. It is less aligned with acquiring initial bench competence in analytical chemistry, microscopy, DNA methods, or instrumental analysis.
FIU also has a separate on-campus MS in Forensic Science that is listed as FEPAC-accredited through March 1, 2031. That accreditation belongs to the campus MS, not the online PSM.
Why undergraduate science preparation matters in California
California’s state Criminalist classification provides a useful planning benchmark even though cities, counties, and other public agencies can use different classifications.
The state requirement calls for a degree in physical or biological science, along with eight semester hours of general chemistry and three semester hours of quantitative analysis. The California Department of Justice’s Criminalistics Institute also explains that criminalists commonly hold four-year degrees in chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, or another physical or biological science.
A graduate degree cannot be evaluated in isolation. Consider two applicants:
- An applicant with a BS in chemistry, organic chemistry, quantitative analysis, instrumental analysis, physics, statistics, and laboratory research may use an online forensic science master’s to specialize in toxicology, trace evidence, or controlled substances.
- An applicant with a BA in criminal justice and no college chemistry laboratories may earn the same forensic master’s title but still fall short of a science-major requirement or specified chemistry credits.
The second applicant may be well prepared for some investigative, evidence, intelligence, administrative, or crime scene roles. The academic record is simply different from what a laboratory criminalist classification requires.
For laboratory work, the most useful transcript review covers more than the program title. Depending on the intended specialty, relevant subjects can include:
- General chemistry with laboratory
- Quantitative or analytical chemistry
- Organic chemistry with laboratory
- Instrumental analysis
- Biochemistry
- General biology
- Genetics
- Molecular biology
- Cell biology
- Microbiology
- Physics
- Calculus or statistics
- Scientific writing
- Laboratory quality assurance
- Research methods
A DNA-focused applicant needs stronger biology, genetics, molecular biology, statistics, and laboratory preparation. A forensic chemist benefits from analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, instrumentation, and quantitative work. A toxicology pathway calls for chemistry plus pharmacology, physiology, analytical methods, and interpretation. Trace-evidence work may draw on microscopy, materials analysis, chemistry, physics, and instrumentation.
Online laboratories and practical preparation
Online graduate education works well for theory, research review, statistics, quality systems, legal procedure, expert testimony, ethics, and advanced discipline-specific coursework. Its limits appear most clearly in repeated instrument use and supervised bench practice.
Employers may expect familiarity with activities such as:
- Preparing standards and controls
- Following validated analytical methods
- Operating and maintaining instruments
- Documenting uncertainty and limitations
- Preventing contamination
- Conducting technical and administrative review
- Maintaining chain of custody
- Applying quality-control procedures
- Writing laboratory reports
- Explaining results in court
A student already employed in a crime laboratory may be able to connect online coursework directly to instruments, casework, and quality procedures. A recent science graduate may bring extensive undergraduate laboratory experience. A career changer with no laboratory background has a larger practical gap, even if the graduate curriculum covers the correct theory.
The programs address practical learning in different ways. Alliant requires two in-person weekend residencies. National University warns that some Criminalistics courses may include in-person laboratory participation. UCF thesis students may need approved access to an employer or outside laboratory. Oklahoma State’s online nonthesis routes use a creative-component capstone. Stevenson relies on prior science and laboratory coursework for admission to its forensic science degree. Grand Canyon University refers to laboratory-based education but does not clearly explain the physical format on its public page.
These differences affect both career preparation and cost. A residency adds transportation and lodging. A thesis can require laboratory access, research supervision, and a longer timeline. A fully asynchronous coursework degree is easier to fit around employment but provides less built-in physical laboratory activity.
Understanding FEPAC accreditation
The Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission, or FEPAC, accredits qualifying bachelor’s and master’s programs in forensic science or in natural or computer science with forensic concentrations. It is a specialized programmatic accreditor and is separate from the institutional accreditation held by a university.
None of the featured online graduate programs was identified in the current directory as a FEPAC-accredited online master’s program. That statement applies to the specific programs, not to the institutional accreditation of their universities.
Several distinctions prevent common accreditation errors:
- UCF has a FEPAC-accredited bachelor’s program, but its online Chemistry MS forensic track is not listed as an accredited graduate program.
- FIU has a FEPAC-accredited on-campus MS, but its online Professional Science Master’s is a separate credential.
- UC Davis has FEPAC-accredited on-campus MS tracks in Criminalistics and DNA Analysis through March 1, 2031, but UC Davis states that it does not offer an online forensic science degree.
- Institutional accreditation and FEPAC accreditation describe different levels of review and cannot be used interchangeably.
FEPAC status is most relevant to science-based forensic programs. It is less useful for judging crime scene investigation, management, forensic psychology, or other specialties that do not share the same academic purpose.
Absence from the FEPAC directory does not settle whether a degree has a useful curriculum. It does mean the program has not been identified there as currently accredited under FEPAC’s specialized standards. Curriculum, faculty, practical work, admission prerequisites, and employer requirements still need to be evaluated on their own evidence.
California campus alternatives
Online study is not the only route available to California residents. UC Davis offers on-campus graduate forensic science tracks in Criminalistics and DNA Analysis, with thesis and nonthesis options. Those tracks are listed as FEPAC-accredited, but the university explicitly states that it does not currently offer an online forensic science degree.
Cal State Los Angeles also offers an MS in Criminalistics, but it was not identified as an online program in the authoritative materials reviewed for this article. Students who can attend campus may find stronger access to physical laboratories, faculty research, instrumentation, and local professional networks through an in-person program.
A broader review of campus and online pathways is available in the guide to criminalistics degrees in California.
Some older online-degree lists also continue to display Gannon University’s MS in Criminalistics. The official university page says that the program is in abeyance and stopped accepting new students beginning in Spring 2026, so it is not included as an active option here.
Choosing a program by career objective
The most useful comparison starts with the work itself, not the degree title.
Laboratory criminalist or crime-lab analyst
Prioritize a physical or biological science foundation, the chemistry credits required by the target employer, laboratory courses, statistics, quality assurance, and a concentration tied to the intended evidence category.
The closest online options in this group are:
- National University’s Criminalistics specialization
- Stevenson’s MS in Forensic Science
- UCF’s Chemistry MS with Forensic Science track
- Oklahoma State’s Biology/DNA or Chemistry/Toxicology tracks
- Grand Canyon University’s broad MS in Forensic Science
National University and Alliant use explicit criminalistics concentration language. Stevenson publishes the most detailed science prerequisites among the fully online choices reviewed. UCF offers the strongest chemistry degree identity and a research option, but laboratory thesis work can require outside access. Oklahoma State provides unusually broad specialization choices through a fully online nonthesis format.
DNA or forensic biology
Look for molecular biology, genetics, serology, immunology, population statistics, DNA analysis, quality assurance, and substantial prior biological laboratory work.
Relevant options include:
- Stevenson’s Forensic Biology concentration
- Oklahoma State’s Forensic Biology/DNA track
- UCF’s Forensic Biochemistry concentration
- University of Florida’s Forensic DNA and Serology concentration
- National University’s advanced serology and DNA coursework
The master’s can deepen specialization, but it works best on top of a biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, or closely related science degree.
Forensic chemistry or toxicology
Prioritize quantitative analysis, organic chemistry, instrumental analysis, toxicology, drug chemistry, statistics, and laboratory quality systems.
Relevant choices include:
- UCF’s Forensic Analysis concentration
- Stevenson’s Forensic Chemistry concentration
- Oklahoma State’s Forensic Chemistry/Toxicology track
- University of Florida’s Forensic Drug Chemistry or Forensic Toxicology concentrations
- National University’s advanced toxicology and trace-evidence coursework
A curriculum mentioning toxicology is not sufficient by itself for every toxicologist or criminalist role. The depth of prior chemistry and hands-on analytical experience remains central.
Crime scene investigator or evidence technician
Emphasize photography, scene documentation, evidence recognition, collection, preservation, fingerprints, pattern evidence, reconstruction, chain of custody, report writing, and testimony.
The most directly aligned programs are:
- Stevenson’s MS in Crime Scene Investigation
- Alliant’s Crime Scene and Incident Investigation concentration
- Oklahoma State’s Forensic Investigative Sciences track
- National University’s Investigation specialization, although it is separate from the Criminalistics specialization
These routes are more relevant to field work than a narrow forensic chemistry degree. They are not designed to replace the chemistry and biology expected of laboratory scientists.
Established forensic professional seeking advancement
A working analyst, investigator, laboratory employee, or agency professional may benefit more from research, quality systems, leadership, administration, or specialized theory than from another introductory laboratory sequence.
Programs aligned with that goal include:
- Arizona State University’s Professional Science Master’s
- Florida International University’s Professional Science Master’s
- Oklahoma State’s nonthesis tracks
- University of Florida’s specialized concentrations
- UCF’s Forensic Professional concentration
FIU is particularly management-oriented because it combines forensic science with business and public administration. ASU similarly frames its degree around professionals seeking leadership or research advancement.
Career changer without a science degree
An online criminalistics master’s is usually not the shortest route into laboratory criminalist work when the applicant lacks foundational chemistry and biology.
The more effective academic sequence is often:
- Complete the missing undergraduate science prerequisites, with laboratories.
- Make sure the transcript satisfies the intended employer’s chemistry and science requirements.
- Gain research, internship, or laboratory experience.
- Use graduate study for specialization rather than as a substitute for foundational science.
A CSI-oriented graduate degree can still support field investigation, evidence, or related work, depending on the employer. It should be chosen because that work is the objective, not as an indirect workaround for laboratory science requirements.
A practical short list
California students can narrow these choices according to four common situations.
A science graduate seeking laboratory specialization should begin with National University, Stevenson’s forensic science degree, UCF, Oklahoma State’s biology or chemistry tracks, and the University of Florida’s discipline-specific concentrations. Compare the chosen curriculum with the exact evidence category, then account for laboratory access and research requirements.
A California resident who wants an explicitly named criminalistics concentration has two direct in-state choices in this review. National University offers a Criminalistics specialization with a laboratory-science admission expectation, although some courses may require in-person participation. Alliant offers Criminalistics and Technology through online study, two weekend residencies, and a thesis.
A scene investigator or evidence professional should compare Stevenson’s CSI degree, Oklahoma State’s Forensic Investigative Sciences track, and Alliant’s Crime Scene and Incident Investigation concentration. Their scene-processing content is more relevant than a chemistry-heavy program for photography, collection, pattern evidence, preservation, and courtroom communication.
An experienced professional seeking supervision or management should focus on FIU’s and ASU’s professional science master’s programs. Their leadership and organizational content is useful in an established career, but neither is designed to rebuild missing undergraduate laboratory science.
The best final decision comes from matching three concrete items: the applicant’s existing transcript, the target job’s published qualifications, and the graduate curriculum’s actual science or scene-investigation content. For California laboratory criminalistics, begin with the undergraduate major and chemistry record. For CSI work, prioritize evidence recognition, photography, documentation, recovery, preservation, and testimony. Then compare delivery details, laboratory access, required travel, thesis expectations, and total cost.