Forensic Science Degrees in Nevada

Updated September 23, 2026

BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry credential for forensic science technicians, though some Nevada lab-support roles have separate, lower requirements. One Nevada institution, College of Southern Nevada, appears in federal data for the CIP family covering forensic science, at the associate level. Technicians earn a median $81,090 a year, with employment projected to grow 16.9% by 2034.

A confession doesn’t close a case anymore. A partial print off a car door, a DNA swab from a torn shirt, a chemical trace under a fingernail, that’s what places someone at the scene now, and Nevada’s investigators lean on it hard. If you’re weighing a forensic science path here, here’s what the degree, the classroom, and the job actually look like.

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What Can I Do with a Forensic Science Degree in Nevada?

The degree doesn’t point to one job. It’s coursework in chemistry, biology, and evidence handling that opens several distinct roles: analyzing DNA and trace evidence in a lab, processing a scene before anyone else touches it, or working a specific discipline like firearms and toolmark examination.

What you can actually do with it depends on the classification you’re hired into, not the degree alone. A large agency like the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department runs several separate forensic and lab-support classifications, each with its own education and experience requirements, rather than one blanket “forensic scientist” hiring bar.

Degree Levels and Coursework for Nevada Forensic Science Students

Requirements depend heavily on the specific classification you’re targeting, not just the degree level. At the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, entry-level Forensic Scientist I positions require a bachelor’s or advanced degree in an applicable biological, chemical, physical, or forensic-science field. Lower-level classifications work differently: LVMPD’s Forensic Lab Aide accepts education equivalent to an associate degree with specified science credits, and its Crime Scene Analyst classification has its own separate associate, credit, training, and experience pathways. Confirm the education requirement against the specific opening, not a general rule.

An associate’s runs about two years full-time. A bachelor’s runs closer to four. Programs vary by school, so treat the course lists below as a general picture of what this level of study tends to cover, not a guarantee of what any one Nevada program currently teaches.

Associate’s-Level Forensic Science Classes (Example Coursework)

Crime Scene Technology: Explore the current technology used at crime scenes to collect evidence, take comprehensive photos, and start building a comprehensive timeline of events.
Crime Scene Safety: Navigating a crime scene may put you in contact with bodily fluids, weapons, and other dangers. Learn how to protect yourself and others while investigating a crime scene.
Introduction to Forensic Science: This course looks at the foundations of forensic science to help you understand the effects of this field, its limitations, and its potential growth in the future.
Latent Fingerprint Development: Lifting fingerprints from secondary surfaces is an important way of placing suspects at crime scenes. Learn more about this technology in this class and get experience with collecting and interpreting fingerprints.
Biological Evidence: While working with victims, you may collect a significant amount of biological evidence. Learn techniques for collecting evidence safely, processing it, and analyzing it.

Bachelor’s Degree Coursework in Forensic Science (Example Coursework)

Human Anatomy and Physiology: Many of the skills taught at this level focus on evidence gained from corpses and living victims. An understanding of anatomy and physiology provides a better knowledge of what happens during crimes and how it physically impacts victims.
Crime Scene Processing: Criminal justice agencies follow strict protocols to ensure that crime scenes are kept intact and uncontaminated. That is the focus of this class.
Pathophysiology: Understand how disease and injury change the body over time. This builds the biological grounding used to interpret medical evidence, distinct from the medicolegal work of determining cause of death, which sits with forensic pathologists and medical examiners.
Physical Evidence: Physical evidence may be gathered from a number of sources after the commission of a crime. Learn about the unique considerations of physical evidence and how it must be processed.
Instrumental Analysis: In the crime lab, work with different tools and equipment to process evidence. This course shows you how technology makes it much easier to analyze evidence.

Some forensic scientists go on to a master’s for deeper specialization in a specific discipline. Program length, lab-hour requirements, and internship availability vary significantly by school, and a master’s isn’t a universal requirement for advancement. At LVMPD, higher-level forensic classifications lean primarily on bachelor’s-level science education plus progressively greater professional experience.

Graduate Courses in Forensic Science (Example Coursework)

Law and Forensic Science: In any criminal justice career, it’s important to work within the confines of the law. Learn about the statutes that guide forensic science work in this course.
Mass Spectrometry: This course looks at an advanced technique for analyzing evidence and determining its contents. It relies on sorting chemical ions to understand the masses present within an evidence sample.
Pharmacology of Drug Addiction: Substance abuse may play a role in many of the crimes you cover as a forensic scientist. In this class, learn how drugs work within the body and how they break down over time.
Forensic Chemistry and Microscopic Evidence: Forensic chemistry allows investigators to analyze trace amounts of evidence, which is very beneficial for cases where evidence is limited. Learn how to analyze microscopic evidence in this class.

Working as a Forensic Scientist in Nevada

As a forensic science technician, you’ll process evidence, run instruments, and keep a chain of custody that has to survive a defense attorney’s cross-examination. Nevada techs earn a median $81,090 a year as of May 2025 (Bureau of Labor Statistics), and employment in the role is projected to grow 16.9% statewide through 2034, with about 20 openings a year on average (ProjectionsCentral).

Detectives and criminal investigators work the other side of the same cases, running interviews and coordinating with the lab rather than staffing it. They’re sworn law enforcement, a separate track from civilian forensic-science roles, with their own Nevada POST certification requirements. Nevada’s median for the role is $94,470 as of May 2025 (BLS), with employment projected to grow 9.7% through 2034 and about 30 openings a year on average (ProjectionsCentral).

There’s no single statewide license or certification exam that covers every forensic-science role. Requirements are set by the employer and the discipline: LVMPD, for example, uses different education standards for its Biology/DNA, Seized Drugs/Toxicology/Trace Materials, and Firearms/Latent Prints classifications, and DNA analysts must also meet the applicable FBI Quality Assurance Standards for forensic DNA laboratories.

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-level data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed September 2026.

Where to Study Forensic Science in Nevada

One Nevada institution appears in the federal government’s Security Science and Technology CIP-family data, the classification code that includes forensic science:

Institution	City	Federal CIP Family	Credential
College of Southern Nevada	Las Vegas	Security Science and Technology	Associate’s Degree

“Security Science and Technology” is the federal reporting category, not necessarily the school’s own program title. It also covers general security and computer forensics alongside forensic science, so confirm the actual course content and current program name directly with the school. This federal data set isn’t an exhaustive inventory of every forensic-science-related program, certificate, or crime-scene-analysis track in Nevada, and it lags behind a school’s current catalog, so treat it as a starting point rather than a complete list.

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 September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What degree do I need to become a forensic scientist in Nevada?

It depends on the specific classification. At the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, entry-level Forensic Scientist I positions require a bachelor’s or advanced degree in a biological, chemical, physical, or forensic-science field for most disciplines, and DNA analysts must also satisfy the applicable FBI Quality Assurance Standards. Support roles work differently: LVMPD’s Forensic Lab Aide classification accepts education equivalent to an associate degree with specified science credits, and its Crime Scene Analyst classification has its own separate pathways. There’s no single statewide forensic-science license or exam, so check the requirement against the exact opening.

How much do forensic science technicians make in Nevada?

The median is $81,090 a year as of May 2025, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment in the role is projected to grow 16.9% statewide through 2034.

Is a criminal justice degree the same as a forensic science degree?

No. A criminal justice degree covers policing, courts, and corrections broadly. A forensic science degree focuses on lab science: chemistry, biology, and the specific techniques used to process physical evidence. Some programs let you combine the two, but they’re built for different roles.

Where can I study forensic science in Nevada?

Federal education data shows one Nevada institution, College of Southern Nevada, in the CIP family covering security science and forensic science, at the associate level. That data set isn’t a complete inventory of every forensic-science-related program in the state, so confirm current offerings directly with any school you’re considering.

What’s the difference between a forensic science technician and a detective?

A technician works the physical evidence: processing it, running lab instruments, and maintaining chain of custody. A detective is sworn law enforcement, working the human side of a case through interviews and coordination with the lab, and is certified separately through Nevada POST rather than through any forensic-science credential. Many cases need both roles working in parallel.

Key Takeaways

Requirements are role-specific – entry rules differ sharply between forensic scientist, lab-support, and crime-scene classifications at agencies like LVMPD. Check the specific opening, not a blanket rule.
Federal data shows one match – College of Southern Nevada appears in federal data for the CIP family that includes forensic science, but that data set isn’t an exhaustive list of every related program in the state.
Pay by role – Nevada forensic science technicians earn a median $81,090 in May 2025 BLS data. Detectives, a separate sworn role, earn $94,470.
Growth is real – forensic science technician employment is projected to grow 16.9% in Nevada through 2034 (about 20 openings a year on average), versus 9.7% for detectives.

Targeting a specific role? Pull the actual job posting, whether it’s a forensic scientist opening or a lab-support classification, and match your coursework to what it specifically requires rather than assuming one degree level clears every bar.

Looking for a Forensic Science Program in Another State?

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