The United Church of Christ founded Defiance College in 1850 in the town of Defiance, a small town 55 miles from Toledo. With an enrollment of only 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the school received the 35th-place ranking among all baccalaureate colleges in the midwestern United States in 2010, according to U.S. News and World Report. The college offers a bachelor of science degree program in forensic science for would-be crime scene investigators. Among the courses required for the major are human anatomy, genetics, biochemistry, organic chemistry, criminal law and investigations, evidence and procedure, physics and behavioral statistics. All students must complete either a for-credit internship or a paid cooperative work placement with a crime lab or other forensic science-related facility prior to graduation. A senior research project is also mandatory. Approximately 99 percent of all students at Defiance receive some type of financial aid, reports the "2009 Barron's Profiles of American Colleges."
Defiance College
701 North Clinton St.
Defiance, OH 43512
800-520-4632
defiance.edu
Ohio University, located in Athens, Ohio, is a public institution located 75 miles from Columbus. The school has an enrollment of more than 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students and was ranked 115th among all universities in the United States by U.S. News and World Report in 2010. The school's criminal investigation degree program results in a bachelor of science degree in forensic chemistry. Courses required for the major include physiology, calculus, criminalistics, physics, organic and inorganic chemistry, toxicology, DNA analysis, criminal investigations and electrophysics. Around 82 percent of freshmen and 74 percent of continuing students receive financial aid at Ohio University, according to the "2009 Barron's Profiles of American Colleges." Residents of Ohio receive tuition discounts.
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701
740-593-4100
ohio.edu
Home to approximately 4,000 students, Central Ohio Technical College is a public, community college. The college offers its associate of applied science in forensic science program through its branch in Newark, which is around 40 miles from Columbus. The program is available in a traditional two-year format as well as a three-year course of study that allows for a lighter schedule each term. Students take courses in a variety of subjects, including biology, psychology, physics, firearms, investigations, forensic photography, criminalistics, instrumentation analysis, fire investigations, toxicology and serology. Eligible students can receive federal and state loans and grants while studying at Central Ohio Technical College. Discounted tuition rates are available for Ohio residents. The college offers job placement assistance.
Central Ohio Technical College
1179 University Dr.
Newark, OH 43055
740-366-9494
cotc.edu