Graduate Certificate - Forensic Identification

The Forensic Identification graduate certificate is an eight-month postgraduate program in crime scene examination and physical evidence, requiring a prior degree or advanced diploma.

Coursework covers crime scene management and documentation, forensic photography, fingerprint development, lifting and comparison, footwear and tyre impression evidence, bloodstain pattern recognition, trace and physical evidence collection, evidence continuity and chain of custody, forensic laboratory processes, expert testimony and report writing, and the legal framework governing evidence in Canadian courts.

Set expectations carefully. Forensic identification positions in Canada sit almost entirely within police services and are usually filled by serving officers who transfer into identification units, rather than by external civilian hires. The training is genuine and the credential is respected, but treat it as a specialisation that supports a policing or laboratory career rather than a direct route into one.

Humber Polytechnic — formerly Humber College — is Ontario’s largest public college and a Designated Learning Institution (DLI O19376943122). The Lakeshore campus sits on the shore of Lake Ontario in south Etobicoke, next to Colonel Samuel Smith Park, and is home to Humber’s business degrees, media and creative arts, and social and community services programs. Heritage buildings, a residence opened in 2024 and a free shuttle to the North campus make it the most distinctive of Humber’s sites.

Its field maps to CIP 43.0106 (Forensic science and technology). Important: this is a college credential rather than a degree, so it is not exempt from the November 2024 PGWP field-of-study restriction — eligibility depends on this CIP field appearing on IRCC’s eligible list when you apply. Humber publishes a PGWP-eligible program list with CIP codes; check it, and confirm with an Apply Study Visa counsellor before committing. IRCC makes the final decision.