Graduate Certificate in Forensic DNA & Serology
The University of Florida’s online Graduate Certificate in Forensic DNA & Serology is comprised of five 3-credit courses and has been designed to meet the needs of today’s working professionals. This program, which is provided by the University of Florida’s College of Pharmacy, is structured to provide students with a strong foundation in serology, nucleic acid chemistry, the theory of DNA analysis, blood spatter analysis, and the interpretation of biological evidence. These courses, which can be taken individually or as part of this program, may be of interest to those currently working or seeking employment in the following areas:
- Law enforcement agencies
- Military services
- Medical personnel
Upon completion of the 15-credit online graduate certificate program, students will receive a University of Florida Graduate Certificate in Forensic DNA & Serology. This graduate certificate program is open to appropriately qualified local, national, and international students. Learn about the faculty for this program.
The graduate certificate program is novel in featuring modules in biological fluid identification, blood spatter analysis, and interpretation of biological evidence. These courses may be of particular interest to law enforcement agents, military personnel, medical personnel, science teachers, college instructors, and students wishing to enter the field of forensic DNA and serology.
Graduate Certificate in Forensic DNA & Serology - Course Overview
| Course # | Course Title | Credits | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHA 6853 | Biological Evidence and Serology | 3 | x | x | |
| PHA 6856 | Blood Distribution and Spatter | 3 | x | x | |
| PHA 6851 | Forensic Analysis of DNA | 3 | x | x | x |
| VME 6766 | Laboratory QA/QC | 3 | x | x | x |
| PHA 6852 | Mammalian Molecular Biology | 3 | x | x |
Course Syllabus Catalog
The general course policies and the most recent course syllabus catalog are available as a PDF for download here.
Graduation Requirements
In order to earn this certificate, students must complete all required courses with a grade of C or higher and an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students must apply to graduate in their final term.
Library Access
Students taking UF Forensic Science courses will also be granted online access to UF's Health Center Libraries.
Graduate Certificate Minimum Requirements: For All (Domestic and International) Applicants
- A baccalaureate degree in a natural science subject from one of the institutional accreditors (or international equivalent) found in the “Accreditation” section at https://admissions.ufl.edu/apply/graduate/
- An upper-division GPA of 2.0 (C grade) or better.
- To calculate what your upper-division GPA is, please use the Upper Division GPA Worksheet.
Additional Graduate Certificate Minimum Requirements: For International Students Only
- The English language skill requirements for admission
- If your native language is not English, or if you graduated with a bachelor's degree from a non-English speaking country, you will need to take and submit your TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or other Graduate Council approved English language skills test scores.
- Non-English speaking countries are those which are not included in the Graduate School's list of English speaking countries.
- To be admitted to a graduate certificate program, the applicant must score the following on the TOEFL:
TOEFL Exam Type Required Score Paper-based 550 Computer-based 213 Internet 80
