Overview
FEPAC and forensic education
The Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC), affiliated with the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), accredits bachelor’s and master’s forensic science programs. Forensic science is not licensed for individuals, so FEPAC accreditation is a quality and hiring standard.
Why It Matters
What FEPAC accreditation signals
- Program qualityFEPAC reviews curriculum, laboratories, and faculty against rigorous forensic-science standards.
- Crime-lab hiringCrime laboratories and agencies value — and sometimes prefer — graduates of FEPAC-accredited programs.
- Not an individual licenseForensic scientists are not licensed; laboratories themselves are separately accredited (e.g., under ISO/IEC 17025).
- SelectiveOnly a subset of forensic programs hold FEPAC accreditation; it is a meaningful differentiator where present.
Do It Yourself
Verify a program
Go Deeper
Official sources
Questions
Frequently asked questions
- Who accredits forensic science programs? The Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC), affiliated with the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, which accredits bachelor's and master's programs.
- Do I need a FEPAC-accredited degree to work in forensics? No. Forensic scientists are not individually licensed, so FEPAC accreditation is a quality and hiring standard rather than a legal requirement — but crime labs often prefer it.
- What does FEPAC accreditation signal? That a program meets rigorous standards for forensic-science curriculum, laboratories, and faculty — valued by crime labs and agencies.
- Are forensic scientists licensed? No. Individuals are not licensed; forensic laboratories are separately accredited (for example under ISO/IEC 17025).
- Is a non-FEPAC forensic program worse? Not automatically, but FEPAC accreditation is a meaningful differentiator where present, since only a subset of programs hold it.
- What levels does FEPAC accredit? Bachelor's and master's forensic science programs.
- How are crime labs accredited? Separately from education — forensic laboratories are accredited to standards such as ISO/IEC 17025 through bodies like ANAB.
- How do I verify a forensic science program? Search the FEPAC directory of accredited programs.