Trent University offers MA/MS in Forensic Science, a master's degree in Forensic Science programme in Peterborough, Canada. The programme runs for 12 months, delivered on campus.
Also offered as: Bachelor's Degree
At a glance
Degree:Master's Degree
Field:Forensic Science
Duration: 12 months
Delivery: On Campus
We have no tuition fees on record for this programme yet.
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Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Trent University's Master of Science in Forensic Science prepares students to become forensic science experts by combining foundational science coursework with hands-on experience, supported by Trent's on-campus Forensic Crime Scene Facility, described as the first of its kind in Canada. The program offers two streams: a course-based stream, in which students gain a full-term placement with organizations such as the Ontario Provincial Police, the RCMP, the Centre of Forensic Science, or Canada Border Services, building professional networks alongside lectures and labs; and a major research paper stream, in which students gain experience through extended interaction with one of the program's placement organizations while contributing to its investigative work. Delivered on the Peterborough campus over 12 months for either stream, the program does not offer a co-op stream but draws on faculty with academic, practitioner, and professional forensic science experience. Graduates are prepared for careers in law enforcement, forensic laboratories, coroner's offices, border services, inspection agencies, and private testing labs, with an emphasis on scientific data interpretation and communicating science in a legal context. The program suits science graduates seeking applied, placement-based training that leads directly into forensic science practice rather than a purely research-based master's degree.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:77.00 / %
Admission Requirements: Applicants need a B.Sc. honours degree (a four-year undergraduate bachelor's degree), with a minimum average of B+ (77%), or equivalent, in the last two years of full-time study or the last ten full academic credits, plus either demonstrated experience in forensic science or relevant undergraduate coursework, or a willingness to complete such coursework, usually before formal admission; some candidates receive conditional acceptance pending a fee-based qualifying course, Fundamentals in Forensic Science, before enrolling. International applicants must meet Trent's general graduate English-proficiency minimums: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, TOEFL iBT 93 overall with no section below 22 (or 4.5 overall, minimum 4.5 Writing and 4.0 Speaking, on the rescaled test), PTE Academic 60 overall with no sub-score below 60, or CAEL 60 overall with at least 60 in Writing; Duolingo is not accepted. No GRE score is required.
Application Details
Start Date:Fall
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through OUAC with no fixed Trent-set closing date: Ontario secondary students starting September 2027 receive offers in rounds (early December 2026, early February 2027, mid-March 2027 and early May 2027, with final grades reviewed in July 2027 for anyone still waiting), Bachelor of Education's first offers go out mid-January 2027, and all other domestic applicants are assessed on a rolling basis. International applicants use a firmer timeline: applications open September 16, 2026 for fall and summer 2027 and June 3, 2026 for winter 2027, with deadlines of June 15, 2027 (fall, some programs by February 1, 2027), November 1, 2026 (winter) and February 1, 2027 (summer), after which offers continue rolling until programs fill. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
