California-based online forensic science degrees are uncommon. The verified options are concentrated at the graduate level, and even those programs retain practical requirements that can affect whether study is fully remote. National University offers a Master of Forensic Sciences with criminalistics and investigation specializations. Alliant International University offers an online MS in Forensic Science, Investigation, & Technology with three concentrations and two required weekend residencies.
No California-based online bachelor’s degree in forensic science was verified in the current statewide search. California residents can pursue online bachelor’s degrees from institutions elsewhere in the country, but those programs fall outside this list of degrees offered by California-based schools.
There is also a related undergraduate route at ATA College. Its Associate of Science in Criminal Justice includes a Crime Scene Investigations emphasis and distance-supported study, but the curriculum is oriented toward field investigation rather than laboratory criminalistics. ATA also describes recurring campus attendance, so it is not a fully online forensic science degree.
These distinctions affect career preparation. Crime scene work prioritizes evidence recognition, photography, documentation, fingerprints, preservation, chain of custody, and report writing. Crime-laboratory work relies more heavily on chemistry, biology, quantitative analysis, instrumentation, and validated laboratory methods. An online degree with “forensic” in its title does not replace missing undergraduate science courses.
Readers exploring the broader range of campus and online options can also review the guide to forensic science degrees in California.
California-based online forensic science programs compared
| School and program | Degree and length | Format | Main academic options | Practical requirements | Published tuition basis | FEPAC status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National University Master of Forensic Sciences | Master’s degree, 36 semester credits; average completion time listed as 24 months | Online, in person, or hybrid, depending on specialization and course selection | Criminalistics or Investigation | Supervised research project; some Criminalistics courses may require in-person laboratory participation | $683 per credit for 2026; university-estimated program cost of $25,830 | Not listed in the current FEPAC directory |
| Alliant International University MS in Forensic Science, Investigation, & Technology | Master of Science, 33 units; typically less than 18 months | Primarily asynchronous online study with optional synchronous sessions | Criminalistics and Technology; Crime Scene and Incident Investigation; Criminal Investigative Intelligence and Analysis | Research thesis and two weekend residencies | $580 per unit for 2026-2027; approximately $19,140 in base tuition before fees and other expenses | Not listed in the current FEPAC directory |
| ATA College Associate of Science in Criminal Justice, Crime Scene Investigations emphasis | Associate degree, 1,200 clock hours and approximately 71 semester credits; published 60-week schedule | Traditional, hybrid, or distance-supported delivery with recurring in-person attendance | Criminal justice curriculum with a Crime Scene Investigations emphasis | Campus attendance several times per week is described for hybrid or distance-education students | Estimated institutional program charges of $23,890 through December 31, 2026 | Not a FEPAC forensic science program |
National University and Alliant are the two direct graduate-level matches. ATA belongs in a separate category because its formal award is in criminal justice, its emphasis is field-focused, and its curriculum does not contain the natural-science depth associated with laboratory criminalistics.
None of these programs should be described as FEPAC accredited. National University and Alliant hold institutional accreditation from the WASC Senior College and University Commission, commonly called WSCUC. ATA states that it holds institutional accreditation from the Council on Occupational Education. Institutional accreditation and specialized forensic science program accreditation are different forms of review.
National University Master of Forensic Sciences
National University’s Master of Forensic Sciences is a 36-credit graduate degree with Criminalistics and Investigation specializations. The university advertises online, in-person, and hybrid delivery, but the available format varies by specialization and course selection. Some Criminalistics courses can require in-person laboratory participation. The degree therefore offers substantial online access without supporting a blanket claim that every pathway is fully online.
National University reports an average completion time of 24 months and monthly starts. The structure includes eight core courses, one elective, four specialization courses, and a supervised research project. Core subjects include crime scene investigation, digital evidence, law and criminal procedure, and research.
The two specializations serve different professional directions.
Criminalistics specialization
Criminalistics is the more laboratory-oriented option. Its subject areas include advanced criminalistics, toxicology, serology and DNA, trace or biological evidence, and related analytical topics. Admission to this specialization normally requires an undergraduate degree in a laboratory or physical science, although the program director can approve an exception.
That prerequisite reflects how crime-laboratory preparation usually develops. Graduate forensic coursework can build on chemistry, biology, laboratory documentation, and instrumental methods, but it is not an efficient substitute for an undergraduate science foundation. Someone entering with a chemistry, biochemistry, biology, molecular biology, or related laboratory-science degree is better positioned to understand advanced evidence analysis than someone whose previous degree did not include laboratory science.
The specialization is relevant to evidence analysis, but its title alone does not establish eligibility for California criminalist positions. The State of California’s Criminalist examination bulletin requires the equivalent of graduation with a major in a physical or biological science. The required education must include the equivalent of eight semester hours of general chemistry and three semester hours of quantitative analysis.
A student with a criminal justice bachelor’s degree who later completes the Criminalistics specialization could still lack the undergraduate science major or chemistry sequence required by the state classification. Conversely, a chemistry or biology graduate may already possess much of the foundational education and use the master’s curriculum to add forensic applications.
Some Criminalistics courses may require in-person laboratory participation. National University’s current public materials do not identify one universal location or schedule for every such requirement. That unresolved point has practical consequences for working students who live far from a university facility. It also prevents the Criminalistics pathway from being categorized as completely remote.
Investigation specialization
The Investigation specialization does not specify a required undergraduate major. Its orientation is closer to crime scenes, field investigation, evidence documentation, legal procedure, and investigative applications than to bench chemistry or forensic biology.
This route is more accessible to applicants coming from criminal justice, law enforcement, public safety, or investigative work. It can support advanced study in scene processing, evidence handling, digital evidence, and the legal dimensions of investigations. Its curriculum is not equivalent to an undergraduate physical- or biological-science degree.
The distinction is especially relevant for readers using “forensic scientist” and “crime scene investigator” as interchangeable job titles. A crime scene investigator documents and processes locations where evidence is found. A criminalist or crime-laboratory analyst conducts scientific examinations of submitted evidence. Duties can overlap, and agency titles vary, but the educational foundations are often different.
The Investigation specialization aligns more directly with field evidence work. It is less suitable as a route into chemistry-heavy or biology-heavy laboratory positions when the applicant lacks previous science education.
Research and academic format
All students complete a supervised research project. A research requirement can develop literature review, study design, analysis, technical writing, and presentation skills. It is not the same as routine wet-laboratory experience, however. Applicants pursuing laboratory employment need to account separately for their prior hands-on science courses and any practical laboratory work included in their selected graduate courses.
National University’s online structure and monthly starts can accommodate working professionals, particularly those already employed in investigations or public safety. Format flexibility is more limited in the Criminalistics specialization because laboratory participation may introduce travel and fixed scheduling.
Admission and cost
Graduate applicants must document previous education and complete National University’s graduate admissions process. The specialization-specific prerequisite carries more weight than the general graduate application for anyone choosing Criminalistics. Investigation does not list the same laboratory- or physical-science degree requirement.
For 2026, National University lists tuition of $683 per credit, a $105 course-material fee, and an estimated Master of Forensic Sciences program cost of $25,830. That amount is the university’s program estimate, not a complete cost of attendance. Transferred credits, repeated courses, specialization choices, fees, and other circumstances can change the final amount.
National University has held WSCUC institutional accreditation since 1977. Its Master of Forensic Sciences does not appear in the current FEPAC-accredited program directory, so the degree should not be represented as FEPAC accredited.
Alliant International University MS in Forensic Science, Investigation, & Technology
Alliant International University offers a 33-unit online MS in Forensic Science, Investigation, & Technology. The university describes the program as typically taking less than a year and a half. Delivery is primarily asynchronous, with optional synchronous sessions, which can help students balance coursework with employment across different schedules.
The degree requires a research thesis and two weekend residencies. Alliant’s program-specific page describes the residencies as on-site, while another official school page describes forensic-program residencies as virtual. Because the university’s own descriptions conflict, the current public record does not establish whether a particular cohort must travel. Residency format, location, and timing remain material unresolved details.
Alliant offers three concentrations:
- Criminalistics and Technology
- Crime Scene and Incident Investigation
- Criminal Investigative Intelligence and Analysis
These are not minor variations on one career track. Each concentration points toward a different type of forensic or investigative work.
Criminalistics and Technology
The Criminalistics and Technology concentration is the closest of the three to conventional evidence analysis. Alliant identifies subject matter involving DNA and trace evidence, toxicology, chemistry, fingerprints, and technology used in forensic examination.
Applicants interested in crime-laboratory employment need to evaluate this concentration in the context of their bachelor’s education. Alliant’s public graduate admissions information requires a prior bachelor’s degree and transcripts, but the program page does not clearly require a natural-science major or a specified chemistry sequence.
A graduate degree can provide specialized forensic knowledge while leaving an undergraduate science deficiency unresolved. California’s state Criminalist classification is a clear example. A person still needs the qualifying physical- or biological-science major, eight semester hours of general chemistry, and three semester hours of quantitative analysis. The Alliant master’s title by itself does not document those qualifications.
The public program description refers to simulations and labs, but it does not provide enough detail to determine how much wet-laboratory work occurs in the Criminalistics and Technology concentration. Online simulations can develop procedural reasoning and familiarity with analytical workflows. They do not provide the same experience as preparing samples, maintaining instruments, controlling contamination, documenting bench work, or troubleshooting physical laboratory equipment.
This concentration is more logically used by a science graduate adding forensic specialization than by a beginner attempting to replace undergraduate chemistry and biology.
Crime Scene and Incident Investigation
The Crime Scene and Incident Investigation concentration focuses more heavily on field and incident response. Alliant describes topics connected with scene work, fingerprints, arson, transportation safety, and incident investigation.
This direction can fit investigators, evidence personnel, public-safety professionals, and others interested in scene documentation or specialized incident analysis. Relevant competencies can include recognizing evidence, establishing scene boundaries, selecting documentation methods, preserving physical items, recording chain of custody, and integrating scene observations with later analysis.
Incident investigation also extends beyond conventional property and violent-crime scenes. Arson and transportation events can involve specialized procedures, multidisciplinary teams, technical reconstruction, and regulatory considerations. A graduate curriculum in this area can broaden investigative knowledge, but job eligibility will still reflect the hiring agency’s classification and experience requirements.
Some California agencies employ civilian crime scene personnel. Others assign scene duties to sworn officers or use job titles such as forensic specialist, evidence technician, identification technician, or crime scene technician. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that some crime scene investigators are sworn police officers and must complete police-academy requirements. An academic degree does not replace those agency-specific employment conditions.
Criminal Investigative Intelligence and Analysis
The Criminal Investigative Intelligence and Analysis concentration has the greatest distance from traditional laboratory criminalistics. Its subjects include crime mapping, geospatial analysis, digital and open-source intelligence, identity analysis, and data analytics, along with law, ethics, and cultural considerations.
This curriculum is relevant to intelligence analysis, investigative research, analytical support, crime analysis, and information-based case development. It should not be grouped casually with forensic chemistry, DNA analysis, or toxicology. The methods, technical tools, and employment settings differ.
Someone targeting an analyst position may gain more directly applicable preparation from geospatial analysis, structured analytical methods, open-source intelligence, data interpretation, and written intelligence products than from a chemistry-centered concentration. The reverse applies to a prospective laboratory analyst.
Thesis and residencies
The required thesis adds a substantial research component. Thesis work generally demands a defined question, review of existing scholarship, an appropriate method, analysis, and a defensible written product. It can be useful preparation for research, policy, further graduate education, or positions that require technical communication.
The two weekend residencies reduce the program’s location independence. Even if the current residencies are delivered virtually for a particular cohort, they still create scheduled attendance requirements. If on-site attendance applies, travel, lodging, time away from work, and transportation become part of the real program cost.
Alliant’s public materials currently disagree about whether these residencies are on-site or virtual. The program cannot be accurately categorized as requiring physical travel in every case, nor can it be described as having no campus component. The published conflict needs to be resolved for the individual start term.
Admission, tuition, and available outcome information
Graduate applicants submit an online application and transcripts from every college or university attended. Alliant has discontinued its graduate application fee. The public program materials do not identify a universal natural-science-major prerequisite for the degree.
For 2026-2027, online tuition for the forensic science program is $580 per unit. At 33 units, base tuition is approximately $19,140. That calculation excludes institutional-service fees, student-government charges, books, degree-conferral fees, thesis-related expenses, and any travel or lodging associated with residencies.
Alliant is institutionally accredited by WSCUC and is approved to operate by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. The forensic science program does not appear in the current FEPAC directory.
An older BPPE performance fact sheet reported that the program had not yet started during the 2023 and 2024 reporting cohorts. As a result, that document contains no completion, placement, salary, or loan-debt outcomes for those cohorts. Current 2026 program and tuition pages advertise the degree as active, so the older sheet does not indicate that the program remains unavailable. It does mean that the cited state reporting document does not provide an established historical outcomes record.
ATA College Associate of Science in Criminal Justice with a Crime Scene Investigations emphasis
ATA College provides a related undergraduate option, but it belongs below the direct forensic science master’s degrees rather than beside them as an academic equivalent. The formal award is an Associate of Science in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Crime Scene Investigations.
The program requires 1,200 clock hours and approximately 71 semester credits. ATA’s 2026 catalog publishes a 60-week schedule. The college markets online hybrid classes and authorizes traditional, hybrid, and distance-education formats, but its catalog also describes recurring in-person attendance.
ATA defines hybrid delivery as requiring at least half of the program on campus. The catalog says students enrolled in hybrid or distance-education programs attend in person several times per week. Another catalog description indicates that distance education can make part or all of a program virtual, creating some internal ambiguity, but the recurring-attendance statement prevents the degree from being labeled fully online.
CSI curriculum
The Crime Scene Investigations emphasis includes:
- Search and Seizure
- Crime Scene Documentation
- Crime Scene Processing
- Domestic Violence
- Sex Offenders
Crime Scene Documentation addresses observation, note taking, photography, and report writing. Crime Scene Processing covers scene response, evidence identification, photography, preservation, fingerprints, witnesses, scene protection, and chain of custody.
Those subjects are relevant to entry-level field evidence work. Accurate notes, systematic photography, scene security, evidence packaging, and chain-of-custody records affect whether physical evidence remains useful throughout an investigation and court process. Search-and-seizure instruction also provides legal context for evidence collection.
The broader associate curriculum includes criminal justice, law, courts, physical fitness, writing, mathematics, psychology, history, and capstone coursework. This is primarily a criminal justice education with specialized crime-scene classes.
The named CSI emphasis courses are listed as lecture courses without dedicated laboratory hours in ATA’s catalog. The broader degree includes both lecture and laboratory hours, but it does not present a laboratory-science sequence comparable to chemistry, biology, quantitative analysis, molecular biology, or instrumental analysis.
As a result, ATA’s program fits field-oriented preparation better than laboratory criminalistics. It does not provide the science depth expected for California state Criminalist eligibility or for many forensic chemist and forensic biologist positions.
Admissions, cost, and transfer planning
Admission to the associate degree requires a high school diploma or GED. ATA also lists an admissions interview, application, facility tour, enrollment paperwork, a financial-aid meeting when applicable, and orientation.
Estimated institutional program charges are $23,890 under the schedule effective through December 31, 2026. The amount includes a $200 registration charge and four tuition payment periods. It is not a complete cost-of-attendance estimate and excludes living expenses and commuting costs. Frequent campus attendance can add transportation and scheduling costs even when some coursework is online.
Transfer planning requires additional care. ATA’s catalog warns that its credits may not transfer to another institution and that the receiving college controls acceptance. An associate degree can serve as occupational preparation without functioning as a clean lower-division transfer curriculum. Anyone planning to earn a later bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biology, forensic science, or criminal justice needs a course-by-course transfer evaluation before relying on these credits for that route.
ATA states that it is institutionally accredited by the Council on Occupational Education and approved by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. That is occupational institutional accreditation, not FEPAC accreditation of a forensic science degree.
Why an online bachelor’s option is difficult to find in California
The statewide review did not verify a California-based bachelor’s degree in forensic science that can be completed online. The official California State University online-program directory did not identify a forensic science degree among the reviewed online categories. San Jose State University has a forensic science bachelor’s degree, but current evidence does not establish it as an online program.
UC Davis offers a Master of Forensic Science, but the university explicitly describes the degree as in person. UC Davis reports that it is developing an online certificate, which is a separate credential rather than an online version of its master’s degree.
The scarcity of fully online degrees is connected to the academic structure of forensic science. A science-centered bachelor’s program can require sequences in general chemistry, organic chemistry, analytical or quantitative chemistry, biology, molecular biology, physics, statistics, and instrumental analysis. Several of those courses include laboratories in which students work with physical samples, instruments, safety protocols, quality controls, and documentation systems.
Online lecture instruction can cover scientific theory and data interpretation. It is more difficult to replace repeated supervised work with instruments, reagents, biological materials, evidence packaging, contamination controls, and laboratory records. Programs may therefore keep laboratories on campus even when lectures are online.
The result is a market with more online criminal justice degrees, forensic psychology degrees, digital forensics programs, and short CSI certificates than online physical-evidence forensic science degrees. Those related subjects can be useful, but they prepare students for different work.
CSI and criminalistics require different academic foundations
A productive degree search begins with the work itself rather than the word “forensic.”
Crime scene investigation
Crime scene personnel may perform tasks such as:
- Photographing scenes and individual items of evidence
- Creating notes, diagrams, and scene records
- Recognizing and collecting physical evidence
- Processing surfaces for latent fingerprints
- Packaging evidence to prevent contamination or loss
- Maintaining chain-of-custody documentation
- Writing reports
- Explaining procedures in court
- Coordinating with investigators, laboratory personnel, and medical examiners
Coursework in photography, evidence recognition, scene processing, fingerprints, criminal procedure, report writing, and testimony has direct relevance here. National University’s Investigation specialization, Alliant’s Crime Scene and Incident Investigation concentration, and ATA’s CSI emphasis all lean toward this side of the field, although they differ greatly in degree level and depth.
Employment structures vary. One department may hire a civilian crime scene technician, while another assigns comparable duties to a sworn officer. Property and evidence technicians can manage intake, storage, release, inventories, and chain-of-custody systems without processing every crime scene. A latent print examiner may need specialized training beyond general CSI coursework.
Laboratory criminalistics
Laboratory criminalists and forensic scientists may examine controlled substances, toxicology samples, biological evidence, trace materials, firearms evidence, fire debris, or other submitted items. Specialties differ, but scientific preparation commonly matters more than general criminal justice coursework.
Useful foundational subjects include:
- General chemistry
- Organic chemistry
- Quantitative or analytical chemistry
- Biology
- Molecular biology
- Biochemistry
- Statistics
- Instrumental analysis
- Laboratory quality assurance
- Scientific writing
- Research methods
California’s Criminalist classification provides a concrete benchmark. It requires a physical- or biological-science major, eight semester hours of general chemistry, and three semester hours of quantitative analysis. Those are minimum classification requirements, not a guarantee of employment, and individual laboratories can use additional specialty criteria.
National University’s Criminalistics specialization requires a laboratory- or physical-science undergraduate degree unless an exception is approved. That admission structure is more consistent with advanced forensic specialization built on prior science. Alliant’s Criminalistics and Technology concentration addresses laboratory-related subjects but does not publicly state the same specific science-major prerequisite.
An applicant without the required science foundation should not rely on either master’s degree title to repair every undergraduate deficiency. A post-baccalaureate sequence or second bachelor’s degree in an appropriate science may provide a more direct route to qualifying coursework.
Intelligence analysis and digital evidence
Criminal intelligence analysis, crime mapping, open-source intelligence, and digital evidence examination occupy another part of the field. Alliant’s Criminal Investigative Intelligence and Analysis concentration focuses on analytical information work rather than wet-laboratory criminalistics.
Digital forensics also requires separate treatment. A cybersecurity degree with a digital forensics specialization can prepare students to examine computers, mobile devices, networks, logs, or electronic records. It is not interchangeable with forensic chemistry, DNA analysis, toxicology, or physical crime-scene processing.
What online study can and cannot replace
Online learning works well for several areas of forensic education. Students can study criminal procedure, ethics, research methods, evidence law, investigative theory, case analysis, report writing, statistics, and some aspects of digital evidence through a remote platform. Asynchronous delivery can also support working investigators and laboratory employees whose schedules do not match conventional daytime classes.
Physical skills require a different evaluation. Reading about a presumptive chemical test is not the same as performing it safely. A simulated scene does not reproduce all the constraints of lighting, weather, contamination, crowds, fragile evidence, or limited access. Software demonstrations cannot replace every part of instrument setup, calibration, maintenance, sample preparation, or quality-control review.
A credible online pathway may combine remote theory with residencies, local laboratory work, campus sessions, employer-based training, or prior science experience. National University’s possible in-person Criminalistics laboratories and Alliant’s weekend residencies reflect that blended model. ATA’s recurring attendance is even more substantial.
Working professionals may already have practical access through employment. A police evidence technician, laboratory assistant, investigator, or analyst can use graduate coursework to add theory and research while continuing supervised practice at work. A beginner without access to a laboratory or scene-processing environment faces a larger practical gap.
FEPAC accreditation in an online degree search
The Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission, or FEPAC, accredits qualifying bachelor’s and master’s programs in forensic science. It can also accredit certain natural-science or computer-science degrees with forensic concentrations. FEPAC accreditation applies to a specific program, not to an entire university.
Neither National University’s Master of Forensic Sciences nor Alliant’s MS in Forensic Science, Investigation, & Technology appears in the current directory of FEPAC-accredited programs. Their WSCUC accreditation is institutional and should not be presented as specialized forensic science accreditation.
ATA’s reported Council on Occupational Education accreditation is also institutional. Its associate degree is a criminal justice program with a CSI emphasis, not a FEPAC-accredited forensic science program.
California does have a current FEPAC-accredited graduate option at UC Davis. The thesis-based Master of Forensic Science has DNA Analysis and Criminalistics tracks and is listed as accredited from March 1, 2026, through March 1, 2031. It is an on-campus, research-focused degree. UC Davis explicitly states that it does not currently offer an online forensic science degree.
FEPAC is most relevant when comparing science-centered forensic programs. It is not the proper framework for judging forensic psychology, criminal justice, anthropology, or general intelligence-analysis degrees that sit outside FEPAC’s program scope.
Cost and scheduling tradeoffs
The published prices are not directly equivalent.
National University lists a 2026 estimated program cost of $25,830 for its 36-credit master’s degree. The estimate includes its published tuition basis and course-material fee, but the university notes that transfers, repeated courses, specialization choices, and other charges can alter the amount.
Alliant’s 33-unit program has a lower calculated base tuition of approximately $19,140 at the 2026-2027 rate of $580 per unit. Institutional fees, books, thesis costs, graduation charges, and possible residency travel are additional.
ATA lists estimated institutional charges of $23,890 for the associate degree through December 31, 2026. Living expenses and commuting are outside that figure. Its recurring campus attendance can materially affect transportation costs and work scheduling.
Degree level also changes the meaning of the comparison. ATA’s price purchases undergraduate criminal justice and CSI training. National and Alliant provide graduate education and require a prior bachelor’s degree. A lower or higher published total does not indicate that the programs lead toward the same jobs.
Related options that are not online forensic science degrees
Several California programs are relevant to forensic education but do not meet the evidence standard for inclusion in the main online-degree list.
Ventura College currently offers a Forensic Science Associate in Science. Its curriculum includes Introduction to Forensic Science and a forensic science laboratory. Individual forensic courses have received distance-education approval, but current materials do not establish that every degree requirement is available through a dependable online sequence.
Grossmont College offers an Administration of Justice degree with a Forensic Technology emphasis. The college states that some courses rotate among daytime, evening, and online formats. It does not identify the entire degree as online.
De Anza College lists a Forensic Criminal Investigation Technician credential, but its current directory does not mark that credential as online. It is also a specialized credential rather than one of the direct graduate forensic science degrees profiled above.
National University offers a Graduate Certificate in Forensic and Crime Scene Investigations. The certificate requires 20.67 credits and has a listed estimated cost of $14,840. It can provide shorter graduate study in the subject, but it is not a third degree and should not be counted as one.
Generic online criminal justice degrees with a single forensic science course were also excluded. A survey course can introduce evidence concepts without delivering the science sequence or specialized field curriculum expected from a forensic science or CSI-focused program.
Choosing among the verified pathways
The strongest fit depends on the intended work and the applicant’s existing education.
A science graduate seeking advanced criminalistics study has the clearest alignment with National University’s Criminalistics specialization. Its laboratory- or physical-science degree prerequisite recognizes that advanced forensic analysis depends on previous science education. The tradeoff is that some courses may require in-person laboratory participation, and the current public materials do not identify a universally remote completion route.
An investigator or criminal justice graduate seeking advanced scene and evidence education can look more closely at National University’s Investigation specialization. It does not specify a particular undergraduate major and places greater emphasis on investigative work. It is not a replacement for chemistry, biology, or analytical laboratory preparation.
Alliant offers broader concentration choice within one degree. Criminalistics and Technology is the closest fit for laboratory-related study, Crime Scene and Incident Investigation serves field and incident work, and Criminal Investigative Intelligence and Analysis shifts toward mapping, intelligence, identity analysis, and data. The thesis adds a research requirement across the program. Residency format remains unclear because official pages conflict about on-site versus virtual attendance.
ATA provides the only verified California-based undergraduate pathway in this article, but its purpose is narrower. It teaches crime-scene documentation, photography, evidence handling, fingerprints, scene protection, and chain of custody within a criminal justice associate degree. It is not fully online, transferability can be limited, and its curriculum is too light in chemistry and laboratory science for criminalist preparation.
For a prospective California crime-laboratory analyst, the undergraduate transcript deserves priority over the convenience of the graduate delivery format. Start with the physical- or biological-science major, general chemistry, quantitative analysis, and any specialty-specific biology or chemistry courses. A forensic master’s can then add applied knowledge, research, and specialization.
For crime scene work, compare photography, documentation, fingerprints, evidence recovery, legal procedure, report writing, practical exercises, and agency hiring structures. Sworn and civilian routes have different requirements even when their scene duties overlap.
The verified California-based list is short because complete online forensic science degrees remain rare, especially at the bachelor’s level. National University and Alliant provide online-dominant graduate routes with different specialization structures. ATA supplies a field-oriented undergraduate alternative with substantial campus attendance. Choosing among them requires matching the curriculum to a defined role: laboratory criminalistics, crime scene processing, incident investigation, or intelligence analysis.