Admissions

Students are accepted in the Fall semester only. Applications open in July, and all application materials must be received by January 15th for consideration for the following academic year. A holistic review of each student's application will be completed on a competitive basis. Late applications may be accepted; please contact the program office directly. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

In order to be more competitive, it is strongly recommended that students successfully complete Molecular Biology BEFORE the start of the fall semester they intend to apply. Additional recommended courses include Biochemistry, Genetics, Quantitative Analysis, and Statistics (scientific).

Review of applications will begin January 15th with offers of acceptance distributed shortly thereafter and will proceed until enrollment openings are filled. Applicants are automatically considered for graduate assistantships; however, the earlier a student’s application is complete, the better the chance of being selected for an assistantship.

We encourage those applicants interested in the PhD in Forensic Science to also apply for the Masters program. Students can complete the PhD in the same timeframe, whether they are accepted as either a 1st year MSFS student or a 1st year PhD student. Qualified MSFS students can transfer credits into the PhD program upon completion of their 2nd year of coursework.

Apply Now Self Service Center Forensic Science FAQ

Program Eligibility

A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in chemistry, biology, forensic, or natural science.

Completion of eight credit hours (two semesters or equivalent) of organic chemistry with laboratories is required.

Required Materials

Graduate Application & Application Fee (ApplyTexas)

Program Application (Self-Service) consisting of:

1. Transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
2. GPA of 3.5 or higher for PhD; GPA of 3.0 or higher for MS (strongly preferred)
3. Official GRE Scores required for PhD; strongly preferred for MS
4. Three letters of recommendation with Admission Recommendation Checklists. At least two must be from academic sources
5. A personal statement of 500-750 words
6. A current resume or vita
7. TOEFL or IELTS scores and third-party transcript evaluation for international students (if applicable)
8. A personal interview may be requested

Ideal Characteristics of a Graduate Student

Critical Thinking, Resilience, Independence, Initiative, Time Management Skills, Collegiality

Downloadable Documents

For additional information, please contact:

General Information about Graduate Applications
Office of Admissions
936-294-1971
graduate@shsu.edu

Forensic Science Admissions
Kristin L. Ware, Department of Forensic Science
936-294-2517
kware@shsu.edu