National Forensic Academy
The National Forensic Academy (NFA) is an intensive 10-week training program, funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, designed to meet the needs of law enforcement agencies in evidence identification, collection, and preservation. The NFA is offered in-residence, utilizing curriculum developed by leading forensic practitioners from across the United States. Participants will be challenged in the various disciplines through classroom instruction, lab activities, and field practicums in the specialized courses. Academy participants will complete written and in-class competency exams to demonstrate mastery of the subject areas. The goal of the Academy is to prepare the crime scene investigator to recognize key elements and to improve the process of evidence recovery and submission.
Curriculum
There are 400 hours of training per session; 170 hours of in-class work; and 230 hours of field practicum. During the course of the ten-weeks, students will be responsible for several educational objectives including quizzes, tests, case files, research papers, and various other hands-on experiences. At the end of the course, students can expect to complete a written post test as well as a comprehensive, practical final.
Modules
- Arson
- Auto Theft Investigation
- Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
- Bombs, Booby Traps and Threats at the Scene
- Bullet Trajectory and Reconstruction
- Crime Scene Management
- Computer Sketching and Mapping
- Court Room Testimony
- Criminal Investigative Analysis
- DNA
- Firearms and Toolmark Identification
- Footwear and Tire Impressions
- Latent Fingerprint Processing
- Photography (digital and videotaping)
- Post Mortem Fingerprinting
- Trace Evidence
- Weapons of Mass Destruction
- Death Investigation
- Autopsy
- Bone Trauma
- Child Fatality
- Manners of Death
- Wound Pattern Interpretation
- Forensic Anthropology
- Bone Scatter Search
- Entomology
- Forensic Odontology
- Forensic Osteology
- Human Remains Recovery
College credit is available for Academy graduates that apply and meet the criteria. 15 hours of undergraduate or 9 hours of graduate credit can be obtained for a fee through the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Contact NFA
Nathan Lefebvre
Specialist
1201 Oak Ridge Turnpike
Suite 101
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Phone: (865) 946-3233
Toll Free: (866) 449-5342
Fax: (865) 946-3000
nathan.lefebvre@tennessee.edu
Robert Geiger
Coordinator
1201 Oak Ridge Turnpike
Suite 101
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Phone: (865) 946-3023
Toll Free: (866) 449-5342
Fax: (865) 946-3000
robert.geiger@tennessee.edu
