Forensic firearms analysis is the subject of a new graduate certificate program offered by the Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute (FNSSI) in the University’s College of Arts and Sciences.

The Certificate of Advanced Study in Firearm and Tool Mark Examination is a 12-credit program that targets current and future examiners preparing for certification from the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE). The program is offered in response to the national and regional demand for qualified examiners from the agencies that hire them.

“Even after an examiner is hired, he or she must undergo at least two more years of training before being able to work independently,” says James T. Spencer, FNSSI executive director and Meredith Professor of Chemistry. “This training comes at great expense to the hiring agency, which is usually small and unable to train multiple candidates at once. Our goal is to provide this training, in a compact and concise manner, for examiners at the federal, state and local levels.”

Learn more at SU News.