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Instructor Pat McLaughlin at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice understands the value of patience.

When he used to train new officers in forensic investigation on the NYPD’s Evidence Collection Team, he found that slow, careful observation was one of the hardest skills to teach.

“When you’re a cop and you’re used to getting activated all the time, it’s really hard to just stand still for a minute and observe,” he said.

“Forensics isn’t as streamlined and sexy as it is on TV,” McLaughlin laughed. He recalls a crime scene that took 26 hours to process, which he imagines as a TV show. “Tune in next week while Pat continues to dust a window for fingerprints! Episodes 18 through 25 are just me typing up an invoice.”

Today, McLaughlin is leading the creation of a new minor in Forensic Investigation at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, which is set to begin Fall 2025. Drawing on a multidisciplinary foundation, the program combines three core criminology courses with supporting classes in biology, anatomy, and anthropology, providing students with a well-rounded introduction to the real-world tools and techniques used to examine crime scenes, as well as mindfulness practices to care for their mental well-being as working professionals.

“The launch of our new minor in Forensic Investigation reflects our college’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence and innovation,” said Naelys Luna, founding dean of the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice. “This program offers students rare, hands-on access to today’s investigative techniques that are shaping the future of criminal justice. It truly sets our college apart from the competition by preparing our graduates to lead in one of today’s most in-demand and impactful fields.”

The Curriculum

There are three core courses for the minor: Introduction to Forensic Investigation, Introduction to Forensic Science, and Advanced Forensics. Unlike other forensics programs, which focus primarily on laboratory science, McLaughlin said Florida Atlantic’s new program will emphasize the in-field investigative techniques needed to collect and document evidence properly, thereby creating convincing reconstructions for juries.

“Pat has recruited experienced forensic investigators to teach the core courses,” said Dean Luna. “They bring a refined and unique combination of technical expertise, emotional intelligence, and professional discipline, reflecting years of fieldwork and exposure to complex, high-stakes forensics investigation environments. The unparalleled caliber of instruction students will benefit from in our Forensic Investigation minor further distinguishes our program from competitors.”

Introduction to Forensic Investigation

The initial course for the new minor, Introduction to Forensic Investigation, is designed to immerse students in the practical realities of crime scene work. The course emphasizes the rigor, precision, and discipline required for real investigations.

Students begin by learning how to observe a scene with a trained eye: a skill that’s deceptively difficult to master. McLaughlin said when new students are asked to describe a crime scene photo, they might respond with something like the following:  “Female, possibly Hispanic, lying on her back with a knife in her hand.” His job is to teach students to add critical details essential to investigators down the line, turning that initial account into something more like: “Female, likely Hispanic, black hair, blue jean cutoff shorts, white t-shirt, blood trailing down the right arm, possible bruising on her face, lying on her back in a northeasterly position on a white tile floor behind a pale green kitchen island, an eight-inch chef’s knife in her right hand,” and so on. 

To reinforce these observational skills, the course uses an extensive collection of crime scene photographs and mock scenarios. Students learn to collect and log evidence using industry-standard forms and begin developing the kind of detail-oriented mindset forensic work requires. 

McLaughlin said there is also a strong emphasis on two skills that many law enforcement agencies say new graduates with forensic training often lack: technical writing and photography.

Introduction to Forensic Science

The second course, Introduction to Forensic Science, focuses on the analysis, identification, and interpretation of physical evidence once it has been collected. Students receive a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles of chemistry and biology that forensic scientists require to examine, analyze, and properly handle fingerprints, DNA, and other trace evidence found at crime scenes, such as hair and fibers. 

Advanced Forensics

The third course in the minor, Advanced Forensics, teaches students how to integrate everything they’ve learned in the first two courses to reconstruct what happened at a crime scene.

McLaughlin emphasizes the complicated team effort that goes into forensics. “It’s multiple people taking a scene apart, then multiple other people taking all those pieces of data and filling in blanks, then multiple other people taking all that evidence and putting it back together into a clear picture and a set of events.”

Precisely recreating that timeline is critical for persuading a jury.

“A lot of times it’s actually not that hard to figure out who the bad guy is,” McLaughlin said. “But it is hard to figure out how he went from getting to the front door to crawling out the back window. You have to figure out what steps were involved and provide a logical, ordered reconstruction of the event based on the physical evidence. It’s essential because that’s where juries really focus their attention: on the series of steps that led from Point A to Point Z.”

Developing the skills necessary to convince a jury and to provide expert testimony in a trial is essential to the program. “Even if you do everything right,” he said, “you’re going to be opposite a defense attorney who’s attacking everything you did. You have to know how to explain all this to a jury who knows nothing more about forensics than what they’ve seen on CSI and Law and Order.”

“The curriculum for the minor that Pat has put together presents students with a tremendous opportunity to quite literally get their hands dirty with their education,” said Ryan Meldrum, PhD, director of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. “Couple that with the learning of skills related to microscopy, crime scene reconstruction through virtual reality, and developing positive coping strategies for the stressors associated with working crime scenes, and the minor truly sets itself apart.” 

20 Years in the NYPD

While he has been an instructor at Florida Atlantic since 2020, McLaughlin worked with the New York Police Department for over 20 years, most of which were spent as a crime scene technician. He spent 15 years on the NYPD’s Evidence Collection Team, during which he led or assisted in processing nearly 8,000 criminal events ranging from simple car break-ins to murder. He has a B.S. and an M.S. in Forensic Science from The John Jay College of Criminal Justice and extensive training in numerous forensic disciplines.

As soon as he began working in forensics, McLaughlin knew he’d found his calling within the field of policing.

 “I love the problem-solving, the puzzles, and the critical thinking aspects of forensic investigation,” he said.

That said, though, it isn’t what people see on shows like CSI. While television has trained people to associate forensics with murders and violent crime, McLaughlin said routine burglaries and other property crimes often stand out just as vividly in his memory.

He recalls a 90-year-old woman who was the victim of a break-in. “They stole her husband’s pocket watch that he had from WWII. Her grandson was about to start at West Point, and she wanted so badly to give him that pocket watch. Now it’s gone, this woman feels completely violated in her home, and she can’t stay there, but she doesn’t know what to do.”  

On paper, the crime may sound rather insignificant: a stolen pocket watch. In reality, it can be much more traumatic.

The Forensic Investigation minor will be open to undergraduates from any major and is slated to launch this fall. For more details, students can speak with their academic advisor or visit the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice website.

“With this new minor, the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic is well-positioned to be the top choice for students who want to turn their passion for forensics into a lifelong purpose,” said Dean Luna.