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Master of Forensic Sciences

Master'sMFSDedicated degreeOn campusOnlineHybrid

Overview

36-credit Master of Forensic Sciences with Criminalistics and Investigation specializations, offered online, in person and hybrid; some Criminalistics courses may require in-person laboratory participation.

Official program name
Master of Forensic Sciences
Awarded degree
Master of Forensic Sciences · major: Forensic Sciences
Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Degree level
Master's
Subject focus
Dedicated degreeThe degree itself is in criminal justice, criminology, forensic science or a closely related justice subject.
Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Forensic type
Laboratory forensic scienceA natural-science degree built around chemistry, biology and laboratory analysis of evidence. Laboratory and prerequisite requirements are listed on the profile.
Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
School
Location
San Diego, CAFor the online option this is where the school is located — not a residency requirement, and not a guarantee that you may enroll from your state.
Subjects
Forensic Science — core of the degree (“Forensic Sciences”)
Tracks / concentrations
Criminalistics · Investigation
Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Required credits
at least 36 semester credit hours
Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Duration
24 months average completion time (printed average completion time)A minimum under the stated conditions, not a typical length.
Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Why this program is listed

Dedicated Master of Forensic Sciences with a laboratory-oriented Criminalistics specialization and an Investigation specialization.

Degree title names forensic sciences; Criminalistics and Investigation specializations.

Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

We list associate, bachelor's, master's and research-doctorate programs in criminal justice, criminology, forensic science and related subjects at institutionally accredited US schools — degrees in the subject and formal concentrations, never certificates or one-elective degrees. Eligibility rules

Format and attendance

Formats, online delivery, campus visits, internships and class schedule are shown separately, each only as the school states it.
Formats offered
On campus · Online · Hybrid
Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Online delivery
Online delivery type not verified
Campus visits (online option)
Campus visits: not verified
Class schedule (online option)
Not verified
Internship
Internship requirement: not verified
Study intensity
Not verified

Attendance requirements as published

  • In-person labs Not verified

    Some Criminalistics courses may require in-person laboratory participation; delivery format may vary by specialization.

    Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Curriculum

Capstone

  • A Supervised Research Project course is required.
    Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Natural-science content

  • Criminalistics specialization courses include trace evidence, forensic toxicology and forensic serology and DNA.
    Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Science prerequisites

  • The Criminalistics specialization requires an undergraduate degree in a laboratory or physical science; the Investigation specialization has no specific major requirement.
    Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Laboratory components

  • Some Criminalistics courses may require in-person laboratory participation.
    Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Digital evidence focus

  • A required Digital Evidence course covers different types of digital-related crime and chain of custody.
    Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Accelerated options

  • Accelerated pathways from BS Biology, BS Criminal Justice Administration, BS Cybersecurity and BA Psychology can reduce the MFS from 12 courses to as few as 10.
    Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Careers and licensure

An academic degree and an occupational licence are different things.

Career and licensure statements for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

A degree does not guarantee police academy admission, sworn officer certification, federal employment, a security clearance, a position with a named agency, a forensic laboratory job or eligibility to practice as a psychologist. Those have separate training, scientific prerequisites, examinations or hiring requirements set by the agency, state or licensing board. Academic degrees vs police academy training

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the school states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.
Application fee
Not required$0 application fee; no essays or exams.
Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Tests

Entrance and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Application deadlines: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.
CategoryAmountBasis and year
All students — Master of Forensic Sciences, base rate per creditFrom the school-wide rate table for this level$683per creditCalculated tuition$24,588 = 36 credits × $683 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required visits or placements, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Other published fees

Course material fee (per course)
$105 per course
Source: nu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Scholarships and funding

Awards published by the school for this program or for its level. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships; service scholarships require government service after graduation. Graduate funding guide

Program-specific scholarships: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Accreditation

Two different things: the school's institutional accreditation, and FEPAC accreditation of this exact forensic science program.

Institutional accreditation

  • WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

FEPAC program accreditation

This program does not appear in FEPAC's accredited-program list. FEPAC accredits forensic science programs only and is optional; its absence is not a sign that a program is illegitimate, and the school's other programs or institutional accreditation do not imply it.

State authorization (online students)

Not verified — check the school's state authorization page before applying from outside California.

International applicants

Not verified for the online option.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages and directories below. Last verified October 24, 2026.
  1. DAPIP — WSCUC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
  2. nu.edu/admissions/tuition/ — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 24, 2026
  3. nu.edu/degrees/professional-studies/programs/master-forensic-sciences/ — Official program page, verified October 24, 2026

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Similar programs at other schools

Same degree level and focus. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

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Arcadia University

Master of Science in Forensic Science

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Format: Campus · Full-time, Part-time
Location: Glenside, PA
Attendance: Campus-based study
Duration: 2 years (full-time (as printed on the program page)) · 59 credits
Tuition: $35,150 per academic year · All students — Program page tuition
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Accreditation: Institution accredited: MSCHEFEPAC-accredited program
Subjects: Forensic Science
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Cedar Crest College

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Format: Campus · Full-time
Location: Allentown, PA
Attendance: Campus-based study
Duration: full-time, two-year program (full-time)
Tuition: Tuition not verified
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Accreditation: Institution accredited: MSCHEFEPAC-accredited program
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George Washington University logo

George Washington University

Master of Forensic Sciences

Master'sMFSDedicated degreeLaboratory science
Format: Campus
Location: Washington, DC
Attendance: Campus-based study
Duration: Duration not verified · 37 credits
Tuition: Tuition not verified
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Accreditation: Institution accredited: MSCHE
Subjects: Forensic Science
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Criminal Justice Degrees is independent and not affiliated with National University. Information is collected from official pages and directories and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.