Forensic Science Degree Programs in Michigan

Updated October 1, 2026

Michigan has eight institutions reporting programs in the broader security-science-and-technology CIP family, the federal category that includes forensic science, with credentials ranging from certificate to master’s. Forensic science technicians have no Michigan-specific median wage published by BLS, but detectives and criminal investigators had a Michigan median of $90,650 a year as of May 2025.

If you’re drawn to the scientific side of solving a crime, forensic science is where lab work meets the courtroom. Investigators lean on it to build a timeline, identify a perpetrator, and hold up under cross-examination, and Michigan prosecutors have pointed to forensic testimony as central to that process in homicide cases (Daily Press, 2017). This guide walks through the degree and certificate options available in the state, what the work actually pays, and where you can study.

Featured Programs:

Forensic Science Degrees in Michigan

Forensic science isn’t one ladder with a single top rung. Forensic accounting, forensic chemistry, and lab-based forensic science technician work are different specialties that can lead to different occupations, not sequential steps on the same path. Michigan schools offer coursework across several of these specialties, and the course lists below are examples drawn from specific programs, not a universal Michigan curriculum.

A certificate in forensic accounting is one route into financial-investigation work: reading records for the trail a victim or perpetrator left behind. It’s a different specialty from lab-based forensic science, not a lower rung on the same ladder.

Certificate in Forensic Accounting

Forensic Accounting Principles (4 credits): An overview of the field and how it differs from general accounting.
Financial Statements (4 credits): How to read statements for trends, unusual activity, and evidence.
Investigative Accounting and Fraud Examination (4 credits): Techniques for investigating fraud and uncovering inaccuracies in records.
Litigation Support (4 credits): What your role looks like in a court case and how to document evidence so it holds up there.

An associate-level forensics curriculum introduces physical evidence handling and crime-scene photography. BLS reports that forensic science technicians typically need at least a bachelor’s degree. Requirements for evidence-handling or support roles vary by employer.

Associate-Level Forensics Courses

Physical Evidence (3 credits): How to store, process, and analyze different types of physical evidence.
Biological Evidence (3 credits): Collecting biological evidence from living and deceased subjects and preparing it for analysis.
Police Photography (3 credits): Taking crime scene photographs that are admissible in court and that clearly document the scene.
Criminal Investigation (3 credits): A broad introduction to how investigative teams use forensic work.

A bachelor’s in forensic chemistry is heavier on lab science and DNA work. BLS reports that forensic science technicians typically need at least a bachelor’s degree, often in a physical science, biology, or forensic science.

Bachelor’s Degree in Forensic Chemistry

Forensic DNA Analysis (3 credits): Analyzing DNA and comparing samples.
Criminal Justice Investigation Issues (3 credits): Current issues affecting criminal investigation, updated as the field changes.
Criminal Justice Fundamentals (3 credits): Core fundamentals of criminal justice, for context on your role as a technician or scientist.
Analysis of Physical and Biological Evidence (5 credits): Properly analyzing each type of evidence you’ll encounter on the job.

Graduate study lets technicians go deeper into a subfield. Whether a given role, like supervising a lab or testifying as an expert witness, requires a graduate degree depends on the employer, the forensic discipline, and how a court qualifies an expert. It isn’t tied to a single degree level.

Graduate Courses in Forensic Science

Law and Forensic Science (2 credits): The legal standards your evidence has to meet to be admissible.
Forensic Chemistry and Microscopic Evidence (3 credits): Working with trace and microscopic evidence.
Forensic Serology (3 credits): Analysis of bodily fluids.
DNA Profiling (3 credits): Building a DNA profile to identify perpetrators and victims and eliminate suspects.
Forensic Analysis of Drugs and Alcohol (3 credits): Analyzing blood samples for drugs and alcohol, which can affect both the case and a perpetrator or victim’s state of mind.

Working as a Forensic Scientist in Michigan

As forensic science has become standard practice in investigations nationwide, demand for trained technicians has grown at every education level. An internship or practicum while you’re in school can provide relevant practical experience and professional contacts.

Most technicians work in a lab, processing evidence and handing analysis off to investigators rather than working cases themselves. BLS doesn’t publish a Michigan-specific median wage for forensic science technicians (the state estimate is suppressed), but nationally, forensic science technicians earned a median of $72,060 a year as of May 2025 (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Employment for the occupation in Michigan is projected to grow 9.5% from 2024 to 2034, with about 100 average annual openings projected over the period, a figure that includes both growth and replacement needs (ProjectionsCentral).

Detectives and criminal investigators work the other side of forensic evidence, building the case it supports. Michigan’s median wage for the role is $90,650 a year as of May 2025 (Bureau of Labor Statistics). The occupation is projected to shrink 1.8% in Michigan from 2024 to 2034, with about 130 average annual openings projected over the period (ProjectionsCentral).

Michigan abolished the office of county coroner by statute. Each county instead appoints a licensed physician as county medical examiner to investigate deaths (Michigan Compiled Laws 52.201). That role intersects with forensic science, but there’s no federal wage or growth data tracked for it specifically, so no figure is published here.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Forensic Science Technicians and Detectives and Criminal Investigators. Long-term (2024–34) job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, ProjectionsCentral. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed October 2026.

Where to Study Forensic Science in Michigan

Eight Michigan institutions report programs in the broader security-science-and-technology CIP family, per U.S. Department of Education data — the federal reporting category that includes forensic science alongside security science and computer/cyber forensics. The federal data doesn’t establish that every certificate, associate, bachelor’s, or master’s credential listed below is specifically a forensic science program, only that each institution reported a program within this family. Confirm a given school’s actual forensic science coursework, current enrollment, and admission requirements directly with the school before applying.

Institution	City	Type	Credential(s) Reported in CIP Family
Davenport University	Grand Rapids	Private nonprofit, 4-year	Bachelor’s
Ferris State University	Big Rapids	Public, 4-year	Undergraduate certificate
Lake Superior State University	Sault Ste. Marie	Public, 4-year	Bachelor’s
Madonna University	Livonia	Private nonprofit, 4-year	Undergraduate certificate, Bachelor’s, Graduate certificate
Michigan State University	East Lansing	Public, 4-year	Master’s
Oakland Community College	Auburn Hills	Public, 2-year	Associate
Oakland University	Rochester Hills	Public, 4-year	Bachelor’s
The University of Olivet	Olivet	Private nonprofit, 4-year	Bachelor’s

School and program data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, institution file May 2025 and field-of-study file April 2025. Data accessed October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What degree do I need to become a forensic science technician in Michigan?

BLS reports that forensic science technicians typically need at least a bachelor’s degree, often in a physical science, biology, or forensic science. Exact requirements vary by Michigan employer and forensic discipline.

How much do forensic science technicians make in Michigan?

BLS doesn’t publish a Michigan-specific median for the occupation. Nationally, forensic science technicians earned a median of $72,060 a year as of May 2025.

Do I need a chemistry background before I apply?

A strong high school or community college foundation in chemistry and biology helps, but most bachelor’s programs build the forensic-specific chemistry and DNA coursework in rather than assuming you already have it.

Can I work in forensic science with just a certificate?

A certificate, like the forensic accounting option above, can lead to different roles depending on the specific certificate and the employer. It isn’t a lower-level credential on the path to becoming a lab-based forensic science technician. BLS reports that role typically requires at least a bachelor’s degree.

Is forensic science the same as being a detective?

No. Forensic science technicians process evidence in a lab. Detectives and criminal investigators build and pursue the case the evidence supports. They work closely together, but they’re different jobs with different degree paths and different pay.

Key Takeaways

Eight Michigan institutions report programs in the broader security-science-and-technology CIP family, the federal category that includes forensic science, with credentials in that family ranging from certificate to master’s.
Forensic science technicians typically need at least a bachelor’s degree, per BLS. Certificate and associate programs in related specialties exist but lead to different roles, not a lower rung on the same ladder.
Michigan has no state-specific median wage for forensic science technicians in BLS data. The national median was $72,060 as of May 2025.
Detectives and criminal investigators earned a Michigan median of $90,650 as of May 2025, even as the occupation is projected to shrink slightly through 2034.

Before you commit to a program, confirm its current forensic science coursework and admission requirements directly with the school. Federal data lags what’s actually enrolling students today.

Looking for a Forensic Science Program in Another State?

Online programs may not be available in all areas.

Want the bigger picture? Read the full guide to Compare Forensic Scientist Schools & Training Programs.