Central Valley students can pursue education connected to crime scene investigation, forensic laboratory work, behavioral forensics, digital evidence, and law enforcement. These routes prepare for different jobs. A field-oriented CSI curriculum is not equivalent to a chemistry bachelor’s degree, behavioral science program, cybersecurity concentration, or police academy.
This guide uses a defined regional boundary: Stockton, Modesto, Turlock, Madera, Fresno, Clovis, Reedley, and Bakersfield. It does not include Merced, Visalia, Hanford, Porterville, or other nearby cities. Online access from a school outside these locations does not make that school a local option.
California State University, Stanislaus provides the clearest verified current bachelor’s program focused on field crime scene work. Fresno State supplies two separate routes, one in forensic behavioral sciences and another through laboratory-based science majors. CSU Bakersfield has a computer science pathway that can include digital forensics. Other regional colleges provide broader criminal justice, evidence, investigation, police science, transfer, or short-term technical training.
Madera Community College documented an 18-unit Crime Scene Investigation Certificate in its 2024-2025 catalog and Spring 2025 schedule. No current catalog, active curriculum record, or 2026 schedule confirming continued availability was located during the September 2026 review. It is therefore discussed as a recently documented program, not as a verified current option.
Central Valley forensic and CSI program comparison
| School and location | Program | Classification | Credential | Primary focus | Current status and format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock | Criminal Justice B.A., Forensic Science concentration | Direct field-CSI route | Bachelor’s concentration | Field CSI, criminalistics, forensic DNA, scientific evidence, and forensic psychology | Active in 2026; campus-based with occasional online courses |
| California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock | Forensic Science minor with biology or chemistry major | Laboratory preparation | Undergraduate minor | Science-centered preparation for criminalistics and laboratory careers | Active in 2026; campus-based |
| California State University, Fresno, Fresno | Forensic Behavioral Sciences B.S. | Behavioral forensics | Bachelor of Science | Psychology, behavior, anthropology, law, interviewing, risk, and research | Active campus program; fully online delivery was not identified |
| California State University, Fresno, Fresno | Biochemistry, biology, or chemistry B.S. with forensic advising | Laboratory preparation | Bachelor of Science | DNA, chemistry, instrumental analysis, and laboratory preparation | Current campus-based science majors |
| California State University, Bakersfield, Bakersfield | Computer Science B.S., Cybersecurity concentration | Digital forensics pathway | Bachelor of Science | Cybersecurity with an optional digital-forensics course | Current in the 2026-2027 catalog; campus-based |
| Modesto Junior College, Modesto | Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator preparation | Digital forensics training | 100-hour noncredit course | Systems, networks, malware, mobile, cloud, and digital evidence | Current online, self-paced career-training course |
| Modesto Junior College, Modesto | Administration of Justice A.S. or A.S.-T | Adjacent criminal justice route | Associate degree | Criminal justice, investigation, evidence collection, and transfer | Day, evening, and online options; the A.S.-T has an online format |
| Bakersfield College, Bakersfield | Police Science A.S. | Adjacent law-enforcement route | Associate degree | Law enforcement, evidence, criminal investigation, and introductory forensics | Current Bakersfield program; selected courses have several approved delivery modes |
| Fresno City College, Fresno | Administration of Justice for Transfer A.S.-T | Adjacent transfer route | Associate degree | Transfer, evidence law, and criminal investigation | Current transfer degree; program-wide format not specified |
| San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton | Police Science A.S. | Adjacent academy route | 63-unit associate degree | Peace-officer and academy preparation | Current Stockton-based special-admission program |
| Madera Community College, Madera | Crime Scene Investigation Certificate | Recently documented, current status unconfirmed | 18-unit Certificate of Achievement | Scene processing, investigations, forensic photography, evidence, and communications | Documented through Spring 2025; current availability was not confirmed |
The verified current inventory covers four main education categories:
- Field CSI and physical evidence: Stanislaus State’s Forensic Science concentration.
- Laboratory criminalistics: Chemistry, biochemistry, or biology, supplemented with relevant forensic coursework or the Stanislaus State minor.
- Digital evidence: CSU Bakersfield’s cybersecurity concentration or MJC’s noncredit CHFI preparation.
- Behavioral, legal, and law-enforcement routes: Fresno State’s behavioral degree and the broader justice or police science programs.
Readers comparing options outside this defined region can use the broader directory of California forensic science and CSI schools.
Current field-CSI preparation
Stanislaus State Criminal Justice B.A., Forensic Science concentration
California State University, Stanislaus offers the region’s clearest verified current bachelor’s route for field crime scene work. The Criminal Justice B.A. has a Forensic Science concentration that the department describes as preparation for field work such as crime scene investigation.
An official 2023 curriculum brochure lists the following subjects:
- Criminalistics I
- Criminalistics II
- Forensic DNA Technology
- Bodies of Evidence
- Scientific Evidence and the Law
- Forensic Psychology
The same brochure lists potential electives in organic chemistry, genetics, biotechnology, digital photography, GIS, cybercrime forensic investigation, cybersecurity fundamentals, crime intelligence, and internship experience. This course mix connects physical and biological evidence with investigative technology, photography, mapping, law, and criminal justice.
The concentration has more science prerequisites than a typical broad criminal justice degree. The university’s 2026 department FAQ identifies general chemistry, statistics, human genetics, and introductory psychology among the prerequisites. Those courses provide scientific context for a degree that remains focused primarily on criminal justice and field investigation.
Stanislaus State does not offer this criminal justice degree fully online. Occasional classes may be available online, but the degree is campus-based in Turlock. The format supports criminalistics coursework with laboratory-oriented components rather than relying entirely on distance lectures.
The department draws a clear career boundary between field investigation and laboratory analysis. It directs students interested in crime-laboratory criminalist positions toward chemistry or biology with the Forensic Science minor. The B.A. concentration is the closer fit for scene work, evidence handling, documentation, and the application of forensic methods within an investigation.
The February 2026 department FAQ confirms that the concentration remains active. The detailed course and elective list comes from the official 2023 brochure, so it represents the published curriculum at that time rather than a complete 2026 catalog reconciliation.
Stanislaus State Forensic Science minor
The Forensic Science minor offers a different route at Stanislaus State. It is intended for biology and chemistry majors pursuing criminalistics or related laboratory careers.
The 2023 curriculum brochure lists Criminal Law, Criminalistics I, Criminalistics II, and Forensic DNA Technology, plus approved electives. Listed elective subjects include Bodies of Evidence, Forensic Psychology, Cyber Crime Forensic Investigation, Scientific Evidence and the Law, crime intelligence, and internship.
Pairing the minor with chemistry or biology changes the academic foundation. The major provides sustained laboratory science, while the minor connects that science to evidence, criminal law, DNA technology, and forensic practice. This structure is better aligned with crime-laboratory employment than a criminal justice major containing limited chemistry and biology.
Chemistry supports preparation for non-DNA analytical work involving controlled substances, trace materials, and instrumental analysis. Biology is more relevant to DNA and biological evidence. Within either major, useful courses include organic chemistry, analytical or quantitative chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, statistics, and laboratory methods.
The current department FAQ confirms that the minor pathway remains active and recommends it for students pursuing crime-laboratory work. The exact course structure cited here comes from the older official brochure.
Madera’s recently documented CSI certificate
Madera Community College Crime Scene Investigation Certificate
Madera Community College’s 2024-2025 catalog documented an 18-unit Crime Scene Investigation Certificate of Achievement. The program also appeared in the college’s Spring 2025 schedule inventory. The published curriculum included:
- Legal Aspects of Evidence
- Principles and Procedures of the Justice System
- Criminal Investigations
- Advanced Criminal Investigations
- Forensic Photography
- Criminal Justice Communications
That curriculum was more concentrated in field evidence work than a general administration of justice degree. It addressed evidence recognition, collection, classification, scene processing, investigative procedures, photography, and professional communication. Advanced Criminal Investigations and Forensic Photography gave the certificate a direct field-CSI focus, while Criminal Justice Communications supported report writing and investigative documentation.
The published program was not a laboratory criminalistics curriculum. It did not contain the upper-division chemistry, organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, molecular biology, genetics, or instrumental analysis sequences associated with many forensic laboratory positions. It was aligned more closely with scene documentation, evidence support, and investigative work than DNA analysis, toxicology, controlled-substance analysis, or trace-evidence laboratory testing.
The located certificate curriculum did not list a required internship. Its practical content came through investigation, scene processing, evidence, photography, and communication courses rather than a documented mandatory placement.
Madera’s Spring 2025 schedule listed California resident enrollment at $46 per unit. Applying that historical rate to the 18-unit certificate produces $828 in enrollment fees. This is not a current program price or total cost of attendance. It excludes health fees, books, supplies, transportation, parking, housing, and other expenses.
A targeted September 2026 search did not locate a 2025-2026 or 2026-2027 catalog, an active current program page, a 2026 curriculum inventory, or a current schedule showing that the certificate remained available. No discontinuation notice was found either. The evidence establishes that Madera documented and scheduled the program through Spring 2025, but it does not establish current availability in September 2026. For that reason, Madera is excluded from the verified-current program recommendations in this guide.
Fresno State: behavioral forensics and laboratory science are separate paths
Fresno State offers two materially different forms of forensic preparation. Its named forensic degree covers behavior and the legal system. Its laboratory route runs through established science majors rather than a bachelor’s degree titled forensic science.
Fresno State Forensic Behavioral Sciences B.S.
The Bachelor of Science in Forensic Behavioral Sciences applies psychology, anthropology, linguistics, and related behavioral disciplines to crime and the justice system. Fresno State also offers a 21-unit minor in the subject.
Coursework associated with the field includes psychology of crime, ethics, forensic neuroscience, behavioral science and law, interviewing and interrogation, risk assessment, and clinical forensic practice. The department operates a Forensic Behavioral Science Research Lab, and internship study is available as an elective.
The degree can support work or further education involving criminal behavior, legal decision-making, correctional settings, research, victim or offender services, investigative interviewing, and behavioral assessment. Specialized forensic psychology practice generally requires graduate education, supervised professional experience, and professional licensure. The bachelor’s degree itself is not psychologist licensure preparation.
Fresno State states directly that its Forensic Behavioral Sciences degree does not prepare graduates for crime-laboratory or crime-scene-investigator work. The curriculum focuses on behavior, interviewing, psychology, and law rather than physical evidence processing, chemistry, or molecular biology.
The department reports a 2.5 cumulative GPA requirement for students changing into the major. This route works better for behavioral and justice-system interests than for applicants targeting criminalist, laboratory analyst, or field CSI positions.
Fresno State science majors with forensic advising
Fresno State’s Chemistry and Biochemistry Department provides career-specific guidance for students interested in forensic laboratory employment. It identifies three disciplinary routes:
- Biochemistry B.S.: The university’s recommended general match for many forensic laboratory careers.
- Biology B.S.: The preferred direction for DNA-oriented positions.
- Chemistry B.S.: A suitable route for non-DNA laboratory positions.
The advising page recommends quantitative analysis and a forensic-science survey course. For DNA work, it identifies statistics, biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology as relevant coursework.
These degrees provide conventional science laboratory preparation rather than a forensic-branded credential. That is useful for criminalist applicants because employers frequently evaluate the number and type of science courses on the transcript. Chemistry laboratories, quantitative analysis, organic chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology demonstrate technical preparation more directly than a degree title alone.
The right Fresno State major depends on the evidence specialty. DNA analysis points toward biology or biochemistry with genetics and molecular biology. Drug chemistry and other non-DNA instrumental work point more strongly toward chemistry or biochemistry. Field photography, scene documentation, and evidence recovery require CSI-focused coursework that a laboratory science degree may not contain.
Digital-forensics options in Bakersfield and Modesto
Digital forensics concerns evidence recovered from computers, storage devices, networks, mobile devices, cloud platforms, malware, applications, and system logs. It is a separate specialty from physical crime-scene processing and biological or chemical laboratory analysis.
CSU Bakersfield Computer Science B.S., Cybersecurity concentration
California State University, Bakersfield offers a Computer Science B.S. with a Cybersecurity concentration. The degree includes programming, data structures, computer architecture, databases, operating systems, networks, probability, ethics, and a two-course senior project sequence.
Students select 12 units of information-security electives. The four-unit CMPS 3650 Digital Forensics course is one option within that block. It is not required of every student in the concentration.
Digital Forensics covers investigative techniques, evidence handling, forensic tools, reconstruction of digital crimes, incident response, ethics, and legal guidelines. The course includes weekly lecture and laboratory time. Hands-on case studies involve gathering evidence, analyzing systems, and reconstructing incidents across hardware and software platforms.
This is the strongest verified degree-level digital-evidence route in the defined region. It places forensic investigation on top of a computer science foundation, including programming, operating systems, databases, and networks. Those subjects help technical investigators understand how systems create, store, transmit, alter, and preserve electronic evidence.
The program is not a physical CSI curriculum. It does not focus on forensic photography, latent print processing, bloodstain documentation, or trace-evidence recovery. It also does not supply the chemistry and biology preparation expected for conventional criminalistics laboratories.
MJC Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator preparation
Modesto Junior College markets a 100-hour online Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator course through its career-training site. The course is self-paced, provides six months of access, and uses cloud-based virtual laboratories.
Covered topics include:
- Evidence acquisition and chain of custody
- Windows, Linux, and macOS forensics
- Network and malware forensics
- Web-attack investigation
- Cloud and email forensics
- Social media evidence
- Mobile and Internet of Things forensics
- Deleted-file recovery
- Digital incident reconstruction
The course awards a Certificate of Completion and includes certification-exam preparation. It is not an academic degree, a for-credit college certificate, or a Certificate of Achievement. Prior working knowledge of information technology, cybersecurity, computer forensics, and incident response is listed as expected preparation. It is designed as targeted technical development for people who already have foundational knowledge.
The listed price was $3,250 on September 26, 2026, including an exam voucher subject to eligibility. The price covers a short career-training course rather than college tuition or a total cost of attendance. Its main benefits are focused exam preparation, virtual laboratory access, and coverage across several digital-forensics environments.
The main tradeoff is credential depth. The MJC course is faster and narrower, while CSU Bakersfield’s bachelor’s degree develops the programming, networking, operating-system, database, and project experience needed for broader technical roles.
Criminal justice, police science, and transfer routes
The following programs contain useful evidence or investigation coursework, but none is equivalent to a specialized forensic science degree.
Modesto Junior College Administration of Justice
Modesto Junior College offers an Administration of Justice A.S. and A.S.-T. The department provides day, evening, and online course options, and it identifies an online format for the transfer program.
ADJU 212 Criminal Investigation covers crime-scene search and recording, collection and preservation of physical evidence, investigative technology, interviews, interrogation, and case preparation. The course is CSU transferable and carries the C-ID AJ 140 designation.
MJC also has specialty coursework in forensic anthropology through its anthropology department. The located materials establish an individual course rather than a standalone forensic anthropology credential.
The A.S.-T works primarily as a lower-division transfer route in criminal justice. Its investigation and evidence content provides relevant field context, but it does not contain the sustained science curriculum needed for laboratory criminalistics or the computing sequence required for digital-forensics work.
Bakersfield College Police Science A.S.
Bakersfield College’s Police Science A.S. covers policing, public safety, crime-scene investigation, and criminal investigation. The pathway includes Criminal Investigation, Introduction to Evidence, Criminal Profiling of Violent Offenders, and the three-unit CRIM B12 Forensic and Scientific Aspects of Evidence.
CRIM B12 introduces crime scenes, DNA, fingerprints, trace evidence, firearms, questioned documents, pattern evidence, controlled substances, and forensic applications in criminal investigations. College curriculum records authorize hybrid, online, interactive, and correspondence delivery for the course, although the complete degree has not been established as fully online.
The program provides more exposure to forensic evidence than a justice curriculum with only one general investigation course. Its primary purpose remains law-enforcement preparation. The current materials do not list a dedicated CSI practicum or required forensic internship.
Fresno City College Administration of Justice for Transfer
Fresno City College’s current Administration of Justice for Transfer A.S.-T includes options such as Legal Aspects of Evidence and Criminal Investigation. It can provide lower-division preparation for a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
The college historically offered a 33-unit Forensic Evidence Certificate of Achievement. That older curriculum included biology, chemistry, biological anthropology, legal aspects of evidence, criminal investigation, crime-scene forensic evidence, communications, and technical documentation. Historical materials associated it with evidence technician and forensic evidence technician preparation.
The certificate is not included in the current program inventory because its current status could not be established. The latest clear curriculum sheet located was from 2020-2021. A remaining college page references the certificate but does not provide current requirements or establish that it is active in 2026.
San Joaquin Delta College Police Science A.S.
San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton lists a 63-unit Police Science Associate in Science. It is a special-admission program connected to Basic Police Officer Academy preparation.
The college describes the route as providing the knowledge and skills needed to complete the associate degree and Basic Police Officer Academy certification accredited by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. POST recognition applies to the academy training, not to forensic science education.
The program covers peace-officer work, legal terminology, ethical conduct, lawful use of force, report writing, and problem solving within California’s criminal justice system. Its academy component makes it more operational than a standard transfer degree.
This is a sworn law-enforcement route rather than a civilian CSI or criminalistics credential. California agencies organize crime-scene work differently. Some assign those duties to sworn personnel, while others employ civilian crime scene investigators, evidence technicians, or forensic specialists. Academy preparation aligns with the sworn model but does not replace technical CSI or laboratory education.
CSU Bakersfield Criminal Justice B.A.
CSU Bakersfield’s Criminal Justice B.A. covers crime, criminal behavior, law, policing, courts, corrections, research methods, statistics, and policy. The current program does not advertise a forensic-science or CSI concentration.
The degree can support general criminal justice employment, graduate study, or progression from a community college. It lacks the dedicated field sequence associated with CSI training, the computing depth of the university’s Cybersecurity concentration, and the laboratory foundation of chemistry or biology.
A Bakersfield student choosing between Criminal Justice and Computer Science should focus on the intended work. Criminal Justice aligns with policing, courts, corrections, public policy, and justice-system administration. Computer Science with Digital Forensics is the better route for electronic devices, networks, cyber incidents, and technical evidence.
What was found in Clovis and Reedley
No current forensic-specific academic credential was verified at Clovis Community College or Reedley College during the regional search. Programs were not added merely to represent every city in the table.
Clovis residents have nearby access to Fresno State’s behavioral and laboratory-science pathways and Fresno City College’s transfer curriculum. Reedley residents can compare those Fresno programs with the current field-CSI concentration at Stanislaus State, depending on transfer plans and travel constraints.
This finding does not establish that no individual class in Clovis or Reedley ever discusses evidence or investigation. It means the reviewed official materials did not identify a current credential with a material focus on forensic science, CSI, criminalistics, or digital forensics.
Choosing a program by career target
Crime scene investigator or evidence technician
Prioritize scene documentation, forensic photography, evidence recognition, collection, preservation, chain of custody, report writing, and courtroom communication.
Stanislaus State offers the clearest verified current direct option in this region. Its bachelor’s concentration combines criminalistics, forensic DNA, scientific evidence, law, and forensic psychology, with additional elective possibilities documented in the university’s curriculum brochure.
Modesto Junior College and Bakersfield College provide individual evidence and investigation courses within broader justice degrees. They can support transfer or law-enforcement preparation, but their curricula are less concentrated in CSI than the Stanislaus State pathway.
Madera’s documented certificate closely matched field-CSI skills through Spring 2025. Because current availability was not established, it should not be used as the basis of a current enrollment plan without newer institutional documentation.
Agency titles vary across California. A crime scene investigator may be a civilian employee at one department and a sworn assignment at another. Police academy education supports agencies using sworn investigators. Civilian evidence positions are more likely to emphasize technical coursework, photography, documentation, scene processing, and evidence handling.
Criminalist or crime-laboratory analyst
Prioritize chemistry or biology rather than a field-only CSI curriculum. Fresno State’s biochemistry, biology, and chemistry pathways and Stanislaus State’s science-major-plus-minor route provide the clearest regional preparation.
Course selection should reflect the laboratory specialty:
- DNA and biological evidence: Genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, statistics, and biology laboratories
- Drug chemistry and non-DNA analysis: General chemistry, organic chemistry, quantitative or analytical chemistry, and instrumental methods
- Broad criminalistics preparation: Chemistry, biology, statistics, laboratory methods, and evidence-related forensic coursework
A general criminal justice degree does not provide this science foundation. A field-CSI curriculum also remains insufficient for many laboratory positions even if it introduces DNA, controlled substances, fingerprints, or trace evidence.
Digital evidence specialist
Choose computing depth first. CSU Bakersfield’s Cybersecurity concentration includes programming, operating systems, networks, databases, probability, ethics, and senior projects. Digital Forensics can be selected within its information-security elective block.
MJC’s CHFI course is a narrower option for people who already understand IT, cybersecurity, incident response, and computer forensics. Its virtual laboratories and certification focus support targeted skill development, but it awards noncredit completion rather than an academic degree.
Neither route prepares for physical crime-scene photography, forensic chemistry, or forensic biology. Digital evidence is its own technical discipline.
Forensic behavioral work
Fresno State’s Forensic Behavioral Sciences B.S. is the region’s named route for studying behavior, psychology, anthropology, interviewing, law, and risk. It is not CSI training and does not prepare graduates to conduct chemical or biological evidence analysis.
Bachelor’s-level opportunities may include research, correctional, victim-services, behavioral support, or justice-system roles, depending on employer requirements. Licensed forensic psychology practice requires graduate professional education, supervised experience, and licensure.
Sworn law-enforcement investigation
San Joaquin Delta College’s Police Science A.S. and academy pathway provide the most operational Stockton route. Bakersfield College also combines police science with evidence and investigation coursework.
These programs primarily prepare for policing. Specialized investigative or crime-scene assignments often follow employment, agency training, and experience. They do not replace a laboratory science degree for criminalist positions.
Transfer planning within the region
An associate degree can serve as career preparation or a transfer credential, but the intended bachelor’s major should determine lower-division course choices.
An Administration of Justice A.S.-T from Modesto Junior College or Fresno City College is designed for transfer in the justice discipline. It aligns more directly with criminal justice than with chemistry, biology, biochemistry, or computer science, all of which require different mathematics and science prerequisites.
Community-college students targeting crime-laboratory employment should begin the chemistry, biology, calculus, and statistics sequences required by the eventual science major. Completing mainly criminal justice classes can delay transfer into a laboratory-heavy bachelor’s program.
Digital-forensics planning follows the same principle. Preparation for CSU Bakersfield computer science requires programming and mathematics progression. Police science and administration of justice courses may add legal or investigative context, but they do not replace computer science prerequisites.
Students interested in Stanislaus State’s field-CSI concentration can use transferable criminal justice coursework as a starting point. Its chemistry, statistics, genetics, psychology, and lower-division major prerequisites also need space in the transfer plan.
The historical Madera certificate curriculum can illustrate the types of field courses useful for CSI preparation, particularly forensic photography, advanced investigation, evidence law, and communication. Current transfer decisions should rely on active course and program records rather than assuming that the complete certificate remains available.
Accreditation and program labels
No program in this regional inventory was verified as currently accredited by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission, commonly known as FEPAC. None should be represented as FEPAC-accredited.
FEPAC is mainly relevant to forensic science and criminalistics degree programs. It is not the appropriate standard for evaluating every adjacent specialty. A forensic behavioral science degree, police academy, criminal justice transfer program, or cybersecurity concentration serves a different academic purpose.
Program titles also require careful interpretation. Forensic behavioral sciences concerns behavior and legal applications. Digital forensics concerns electronic evidence. Crime scene investigation emphasizes field documentation and evidence recovery. Criminalistics generally refers to scientific examination of physical evidence, often in a laboratory.
Within this defined Central Valley region, Stanislaus State provides the clearest verified current field-CSI degree path. Fresno State and the science-major route at Stanislaus State are better aligned with laboratory preparation. CSU Bakersfield supplies the strongest verified degree-level digital-forensics pathway, while Fresno State covers behavioral applications. Modesto Junior College, Bakersfield College, Fresno City College, San Joaquin Delta College, and CSU Bakersfield’s Criminal Justice program serve broader technical, transfer, or law-enforcement goals.
The practical choice begins with the evidence type and work setting. Physical scenes call for photography, documentation, recovery, and chain-of-custody training. Crime laboratories require substantial chemistry or biology. Digital investigations require computer science and cybersecurity. Behavioral work requires psychology, research, and legal-system knowledge. Selecting among those foundations is more consequential than choosing a program simply because its title contains the word “forensic.”