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The Forensic Science Program at Cedar Crest College is fully accredited by the Forensic Science Education Program's Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Cedar Crest is one of only eleven undergraduate institutions in the country to hold this accreditation.
In recent years, the work of forensic scientists often makes newspaper headlines and is the topic of countless television dramas and documentaries. The incredible level of media exposure has put forensic science firmly in the public consciousness. Crimes in the past that could not be solved can now be solved because of the use of relatively new technologies such as forensic DNA testing and the automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS). These new technologies and the unprecedented demand for forensic science testing by the criminal justice system necessitate that the education and training of forensic scientists be of the highest possible quality. This is clearly demonstrated by the advent of educational standards for forensic scientists established by professional laboratory accreditation organizations such as ASCLD-LAB (American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors – Laboratory Accreditation Board) as well as voluntary professional certifications.
As future events may dictate, new methodologies may be needed to meet new challenges. Future forensic scientists must not only be able to learn the methods and techniques of today but must be ready to develop new and even better ones tomorrow. Forensic scientists must continually look to the future and must never be satisfied with the now.
More so than ever, the criminal justice system has come to depend on the work of forensic scientists in determining the guilt or innocence of people suspected of committing a crime. It is more important than ever that students preparing for a career in forensic science have the best possible preparative education in science. The program at Cedar Crest is designed to produce students that can be successful as science professionals or as graduate and professional students.