MSRA 5124 – Forensic Science and Litigation
Critical analysis of legal precedent and court proceedings reveal to students the correlation between science and law in the litigation of forensic evidence. Assigned reading and research papers regarding evidence admissibility and scientific methodology will prepare students for evidence examination.
MSRA 5014 – Research Practices in Media Forensics
An introduction to practical research techniques and forensic science periodicals provides students with a foundation for projects and reports in subsequent classes and for the research thesis. Library resources, research design, writing styles, and information technology will be discussed.
MSRA 5114 – Foundations in Media Forensics
Students learn the foundational processes integral to forensic audio, video, and image analysis demonstrating knowledge through reading responses and documentation of procedures and methodology used in assigned projects. Topics include: media recording technology, analog/digital theory, multimedia compression, and equipment characterization.
MSRA 5144 – MATLAB Foundations
An introduction to MATLAB workflow and its use in Media Forensics will be explored. Students will learn how to build program commands in scripts for signal analysis and to display graphical representations of data and statistics.
MSRA 5054 – Experiential Lab
Students will understand laboratory procedures and the application of A/V technology in the field and in analysis through professional conferences and site visits to crime labs and government agencies. Students will respond to experiences regarding presentation, demonstration, and discussion components.
MSRA 5134 – Computer Forensics
Students explore computer forensics through guided projects and group discussion. An overview of computer hardware/software and characterization of storage media and file types will be covered through mock evidence examination documenting the search, seizure, and acquisition of forensic media.
MSRA 5244 – Mobile Phone Forensics
Students learn concepts regarding the proper handling of mobile phones to ensure evidence integrity and approaches to address the ever-changing field. Students are prepared for the acquisition and analysis of forensic media on personal devices through exercises and group projects.
MSRA 5214 – Forensic Audio Analysis
Students learn concepts through the application of techniques related to audio enhancement, digital media authentication, acoustic analysis, and automatic speaker recognition. The acquisition and analysis of digital evidence applying reliable methods prepares students for forensic audio analysis in the laboratory.
MSRA 5254 – MATLAB for Forensic Audio Analysis
Advanced application of MATLAB for the forensic analysis of audio will be presented including file access, FFT and waveform plotting, and signal detection. Through the exploration of correlation and using mean quadratic difference students will be prepared for media authentication.
MSRA 5224 – Forensic Video and Image Analysis
Students learn concepts through the application of techniques related to forensic video collection and image enhancement, authentication, photogrammetry, and comparison. The acquisition and analysis of digital evidence applying reliable methods prepares students for working on forensic imagery in the laboratory.
MSRA 5264 – MATLAB for Forensic Video and Image Analysis
Advanced application of MATLAB for the forensic analysis of images will be presented covering image processing and analysis techniques. Through exploring analyses such as Photo Response Non-Uniformity and the Bi-Dimensional DFT, students are prepared for image authenticity examinations.
MSRA 5314 – Report Writing and Court Testimony
Students are prepared for expert witness testimony through the analysis of mock evidence, complimentary report preparation, and subsequent mock trial. This capstone experience will demonstrate a student’s technical writing and presentation skills and exercise the creation of demonstrative materials.
MSRA 6954 – Research Thesis in Media Forensics
Students work closely with their thesis advisor in selecting a topic for original research and scientific publication. This capstone project creates an area of specialty for MSRA-MF degree candidates. Approved materials are evaluated through report submission and oral defense.