Applications Open! Enroll for Summer 2027 at 2026 Tuition Pricing Until Sept 30
Process evidence and present a mock investigation in this 3-week forensic science program for high school students on UT Austin’s campus.
Rated 4.6 out of 5 for course experience by students surveyed across the broader program in 2026.
Course Description
A trace of blood, a latent fingerprint, or a single fiber can change the direction of an investigation. Students learn how forensic scientists locate, preserve, test, compare, and interpret physical evidence while protecting it from contamination. Serology exercises introduce screening for biological fluids, and DNA work examines extraction, amplification, profiles, and the role of CODIS in linking cases.
The investigation expands into fingerprints, crime-scene photography, documentation, sketches, measurements, firearms evidence, bloodstain patterns, hair, fibers, paint, glass, impressions, digital evidence, drugs, and toxicology. Students practice processing porous and nonporous surfaces, lifting prints, comparing profiles, and using laboratory observations to support conclusions rather than assumptions.
Teams apply these methods to two mock crime scenes. They photograph and document the scene, collect and process evidence, prepare sketches, and present their findings. Case discussions and a crime-laboratory tour connect the exercises with laboratory disciplines, expert testimony, and the legal responsibilities that follow when results are reported.
This three-week course takes place at UT Austin. 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 the University of Texas at Austin and offered in partnership with Summer Discovery.
A supplemental course fee of $95 applies.
What Will You Do?
• Screen biological evidence and examine how DNA profiles are produced and compared
• Develop, lift, photograph, and compare latent fingerprints
• Document mock crime scenes with photographs, sketches, notes, and measurements
• Examine firearms, bloodstain-pattern, trace, drug, and toxicology evidence
• Study digital-evidence preservation, acquisition, extraction, and interpretation
• Process two team crime scenes and present evidence-based findings
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Document and process a crime scene while protecting evidence from contamination
• Apply selected serology, DNA, fingerprint, and trace-evidence methods
• Interpret and present forensic findings with appropriate limits and legal context
Students will leave with mock-scene documentation and a team findings presentation, plus stronger laboratory, analytical, and communication skills for further study or forensic careers.
Students receive a University of Texas branded certificate of completion at the end of the program.
Why Forensic Investigation Skills Matter
Forensic science depends on careful methods because evidence can be altered, contaminated, or misunderstood. Documenting a scene before collecting an item preserves context. Comparing a questioned sample with a known sample requires consistent procedures, and interpreting a result requires students to distinguish what the evidence supports from what remains uncertain.
These practices strengthen observation, scientific reasoning, recordkeeping, and communication. Team crime-scene work also shows why specialists must coordinate across disciplines. Explaining findings to a class mirrors the responsibility forensic professionals have when communicating with investigators, attorneys, or a court. The same habits support laboratory science, research, criminal justice, and evidence-based decision-making.
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, biology, chemistry, criminal investigation, laboratory work, or the legal use of evidence. It suits students who want to compare the reality of forensic analysis with its portrayal in popular media.
Participants should be ready to follow laboratory and evidence-handling procedures, document observations carefully, work with a team, discuss real cases, and explain conclusions. Active participation, respectful collaboration, reading, and occasional assignments are expected. Applicants must also complete the program application.
Why UT Austin?
Studying on UT Austin’s Forty Acres campus gives high-school students a substantive introduction to academic life in Austin, Texas. Courses draw from popular undergraduate fields and Austin specialties. Full-day academies offer concentrated study, while classes across the program take place in campus classrooms and laboratories and may include guest speakers and fieldwork around Austin.
The experience extends beyond class for both residential and commuting students. Residential students live in Jester Hall, eat at J2, a popular campus dining hall, and take part in activities that may range from a star party at PMA to time at Gregory Gym, Zilker Park, South Congress, or an Austin FC match. Students gain independence, meet peers, and leave with a clearer view of college life, possible directions for future study, and what it can feel like to be a Longhorn.
UT Austin 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