Applications Open! Enroll for Summer 2027 at 2026 Tuition Pricing Until Sept 30
Reconstruct evidence through forensic investigation in this 2-week program for high school students on Georgetown University’s campus.
Course Description
A crime scene cannot speak for itself. Students learn how investigators document, collect, preserve, and interpret evidence so that later conclusions can be tested. The course begins with forensic history, Locard’s exchange principle, scene safety, and the responsibilities involved in protecting evidence integrity.
Hands-on work introduces crime-scene sketching, photography, fingerprint analysis, ballistics, blood-spatter patterns, trace evidence, and impression evidence. Students also examine simulated blood typing, time-of-death estimation using cooling, chromatography, toxicology, and the investigative questions connected to arson and explosives. Each technique requires careful observation and accurate recording.
Evidence only becomes useful when the process is defensible. Students practice chain-of-custody thinking, compare what different evidence types can and cannot show, and bring findings together into a case strategy. The emphasis is on scientific reasoning, documentation, and measured conclusions rather than dramatic certainty. Discussion, practice, and feedback help students check their reasoning and improve how they communicate the work.
This two-week course takes place at Georgetown University. The course is available to residential and commuter students. Beyond class, students connect focused academic work with campus life, growing independence, and clearer direction about what students may want to study or pursue next. The program is developed by Georgetown University and offered in partnership with Summer Discovery.
A supplemental course fee of $95 applies.
What Will You Do?
• Document a scene through notes, diagrams, sketches, and photography
• Collect and preserve evidence while maintaining chain of custody
• Compare fingerprints, impressions, and trace evidence
• Examine ballistics and blood-spatter pattern evidence
• Use chromatography and simulated blood typing in analysis
• Estimate time of death and integrate findings into a case strategy
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Document and preserve a simulated crime scene using forensic procedures
• Analyze multiple evidence types and explain what each finding supports
• Construct a case interpretation that distinguishes observations, inferences, and limitations
Students leave with forensic documentation, laboratory analyses, and a stronger understanding of evidence integrity and case reconstruction.
Why Forensic Investigation Skills Matter?
Forensic work shows how scientific methods support legal decisions. A result depends not only on the test but also on how the scene was documented, how a sample was handled, and whether the reasoning can be reviewed. Students learn why accuracy and evidence integrity are inseparable.
The course also strengthens observation, quantitative reasoning, and communication. Students must notice details, distinguish an inference from a fact, and explain the limits of a finding. Those habits apply to laboratory science, research, law, medicine, and any field where decisions depend on reliable evidence.
Who Should Attend?
This course is for high school students who have completed 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade and are interested in forensic science, criminal justice, biology, chemistry, investigation, or law. It suits students who enjoy careful observation and using several types of evidence to answer a larger question.
Participants should be ready to follow safety procedures, record details precisely, work with classmates, and explain conclusions without overstating certainty. Patience, curiosity, and respect for evidence are especially important.
Recommended by More Than 4 out of 5 Students
Based on students surveyed in 2026 about Summer Discovery High School programs at Georgetown University campus.
Why Georgetown University?
Studying on Georgetown University’s campus gives high-school students the opportunity to explore an academic interest while experiencing campus life in Washington, D.C. Its historic campus and surrounding neighborhood sit near embassies, institutions, and organizations that shape national and international conversations, giving the summer a distinctive sense of place.
Students learn alongside peers with similar interests, navigate a new environment, and gain independence through everyday choices and responsibilities. Time outside class helps students experience the broader rhythm of university life while considering what subjects, communities, and possible directions feel right for them. For families, the program offers a combination of substantive academic exploration, personal growth, and clearer insight into what a student may want to study or pursue next.
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive