The Massachusetts Bay Community College offers an Associate of Science degree; this program trains you how to conduct mitochondrial DNA analysis. You take part in both anthropological and criminal cases, where you collect and analyze DNA evidence. All coursework is hands-on, providing you with working knowledge of your field. You also intern at places like the Armed Forces DNA Identification Labs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. This is a two-year program with the first year focusing on biology and the second year focusing on forensic science, criminal law and organic chemistry.
The Ivy Tech Community College's Forensic Computer Examiner program is an online program mainly for working adults. This is a 150-hour course, and it focuses on computer forensic analysis. You learn about the forensic examination process, and you learn how to collect magnetic media. Teachers teach you about the chain of custody of both evidence and magnetic media, and you learn how to retrieve data lost in unallocated computer space. By the end of the course, you must pass a disk-drive examination to show that you understand the principles learned in the course.
The Washtenaw Community College offers the Data Recovery and Analysis program, which is an advanced certificate program. You must maintain at least a "C" grade to pass the class. This is a 13-credit course, and coursework includes criminal evidence and procedure and computer security. The Data Recovery and Analysis program is for IT professionals who want to learn how to preserve, collect and analyze incident data. You learn how to extract data from different file systems, including file allocation table (FAT), Linux and New Technology File System (NTFS).You must pass a criminal background check before the school will allow you to take this class.
The Salem Community College's Forensic Science II program is a four-credit course that teaches students how to scientifically analyze forensic evidence. You analyze items like tool marks, guns, gunshot residue, clothing and DNA, and you also observe the changes that occur in the body after death. This class covers all the processes that forensic analysts take from evidence analysis to courtroom presentation. You must complete the prerequisites for this class before you can take it.