Utah Valley University

What you'll study

The curriculum includes 34 credits of general education and 21 credits of discipline core coursework, plus 6 credits of program electives. Core scientific and criminal-justice coursework covers biology, chemistry and physics alongside foundational forensic and legal subjects.

• General education highlights: ENGL 1010 or ENGL 1005; ENGL 2010; calculus or precalculus options; American institutions course; communications, fine arts and humanities distribution courses.
• Discipline core (selected courses listed): CJ 1010 Introduction to Criminal Justice; CJ 1330 Criminal Law; CJ 1350 Introduction to Forensic Science; CJ 2350 Laws of Evidence; BIOL 1610 College Biology I and BIOL 1615 lab; CHEM 1210/1215 and CHEM 1220/1225 Principles of Chemistry I & II and labs; PHYS 2010 and PHYS 2015 College Physics I and lab.
• Program electives (6 credits) chosen by intended transfer track: For the Forensic Investigation track: CJ 1340 Criminal Investigations and ZOOL 1090 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology. For the Forensic Laboratory track: MATH 1210 Calculus I plus two credits of 1000- or 2000-level courses.
• Sample plan pacing: typical first-year semesters include writing, introductory criminal-justice and foundational math; second year focuses on chemistry, physics, laws of evidence and the chosen emphasis block.

Entry requirements

Graduation requires completion of a minimum of 61 semester credits, an overall GPA of 2.7 (B-) or higher, and a grade of C or better in all math, science and criminal-justice courses. Students must complete at least 16 residency credit hours through course attendance at the institution. Placement in Math and English may alter the individual plan; academic advising is recommended.

Career prospects

The program prepares students for transfer into bachelor’s programs and for entry-level forensic roles. The source lists typical occupations such as forensic science technicians and postsecondary criminal justice and law enforcement teachers. Provided occupational figures from the source: forensic science technicians (approx. 18,600 positions; field growth 13.6%; median salary $64,940) and criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary (approx. 16,100 positions; field growth 2.9%; median salary $69,030).

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

Students should explore institutional scholarships, transfer-specific aid, and federal financial aid options; meeting with an advisor and the university's financial aid office will identify applicable awards and whether online course options affect eligibility.