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Forensic Investigation Program Officially Added to Curriculum Offerings

West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) has permanently added Forensic Investigation to its academic program offerings. The new program was officially approved during a special meeting of the West Virginia University Board of Governors on August 7.

The Forensic Investigation program at WVU Tech emphasizes problem-based learning. The curriculum covers theory and best practices, and then immerses students in real-world scenarios in the University’s Forensics Crime House allowing them to discover the tools needed to solve the problem. Andrew Wheeler, visiting associate professor, explained, “Our program is focused on preparing field investigators who can manage an incident from the initial response to the court room.”

Wheeler added, “In addition to foundational science courses, the psychological and social aspects of the investigative process are deeply integrated within the program. The program couples real investigative work, including interviewing, evidence collection and incident analysis with standard forensic techniques to create investigators who are flexible problem solvers.”

“This program is a welcome addition to the College and it complements several of our existing academic offerings including psychology and criminal justice,” said Dr. Stephen Brown, dean of the WVU Tech College of Business, Humanities and Social Sciences. “We’ve already seen immense interest in our Forensic Investigation program, both inside and outside of the state of West Virginia.”