Membership Requirements
This page outlines the different requirements for each section as they pertain to certain status levels. In addition to the section requirements, you must also meet the academy-wide requirements which are outlined on the membership page. The first step in applying for AAFS membership is to identify which section you are best suited for. The second step is to identify which status category is most appropriate.
Associate
Academy Requirements
ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP: Academy membership, in the various classes prescribed in Section 1, shall be available only to those persons of professional competence, integrity, and good moral character:
- who are actively engaged in the field of forensics sciences and who have made some significant contribution to the literature of forensic sciences, or
- who have advanced the cause of forensic science in some other significant manner, and
- who satisfy the requirements for membership of the section applied to or recommended for, and
- who have earned a baccalaureate or higher academic degree from a U.S. college or university accredited by one of the regional accrediting bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the United States Department of Education, or from a non-U.S. college or university bearing equivalent accreditation.
Anthropology Section
Associate Member
Section Requirements
- AAFS Basic Requirements for Associate Member must be fulfilled, and
- Applicants for the Anthropology Section will be considered in any area of anthropology (e.g., physical anthropology, archaeology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology) or a related field, with a demonstrated sufficient forensic science emphasis; and
- Applicant must have earned a master's or doctorate degree in anthropology or a closely related field with a forensic science emphasis; and
- Submit a complete curriculum vitae indicative of active engagement, publication, pursuit of a career or other contribution to the application of anthropology to forensic science; and
- Demonstrate involvement in current anthropological assessments with a forensic science emphasis by providing:
- Copies of two (2) forensic case reports that demonstrate the competent application of scientific methods, techniques, and concepts in the context of the fields of anthropology; or
- Copies of two (2) conference presentations in anthropology with a forensic science emphasis authored or co-authored by the applicant (i.e. PowerPoints or poster PDFs); or
- Copies of one (1) case report and one (1) conference presentation as described above, or a copy of one (1) paper on anthropology with a forensic science emphasis authored or second authored by the applicant and published in a refereed journal; and
- Two (2) letters of reference. References must be from either two (2) Section Fellows or one (1) Section Fellow and one (1) full Member from the Anthropology Section of the AAFS. Referees must be well-acquainted with the applicant and must address the candidate's aptitude in and contributions to forensic anthropology.
- Above requirements can only be waived by a two-thirds decision of members present at an annual section business meeting. Since the Board of Directors approval occurs before the section business meetings, those seeking a waiver of requirements will be delayed approval of the application for one (1) year.
Criminalistics Section
Associate Member
Section Requirements
- AAFS Basic Requirements for Associate Member must be fulfilled; and
- Applicant must have earned a baccalaureate degree (or equivalent) or higher degree from an accredited college or university in one of the natural, physical, or forensic sciences; and
- Have a minimum of two (2) years of experience in the field of criminalistics during which a substantial portion of the applicant's time is/was devoted to research, practice, or management in a criminalistics discipline as listed above, and has testified has testified as an expert witness, or by position, training, or experience, could be qualified as an expert witness in courts of law as to the results of those examinations, evaluations, and research efforts. It is incumbent on the applicant to address this requirement and to provide a statement in support of how the expert witness requirement has been met. NOTE: Post-doctoral positions with a research focus count toward the experience requirements. Internships do not count toward the experience requirements; or
- Have a PhD degree from an accredited college or university in one of the natural, physical, or forensic sciences and a minimum of two (2) years of experience as a full-time faculty member with the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor in a four-year, accredited educational institution granting baccalaureate or higher degrees in forensic sciences, criminalistics, or a track or specialization in forensic science clearly delineated in the college or university catalog during which the majority of the applicant's teaching and research effort has been in subjects involving forensic science; or
- Hold a non-tenure track teaching position along with ten (10) or more years of practical experience in a criminalistics discipline, and
- Two (2) letters of reference. At least one reference must be from a full Member, Fellow, Retired Member, or Retired Fellow of the Criminalistics Section of the AAFS. Both references must be able to comment knowledgeably on the applicant's qualifications. Applicants who are unable to secure a letter of reference from a full Member, Fellow, Retired Member, or Retired Fellow of the Criminalistics Section can submit with their application the names and contact information of two (2) additional individuals to recommend the applicant professionally. The additional names will be forwarded to the Criminalistics Section Reference Committee for consideration. The Criminalistics Section Reference Committee will forward their recommendation(s) to the AAFS Membership Department to be included with the applicant's application.
- A curriculum vitae or resume that includes all items relevant to forensic science education, employment, or training.
Digital & Multimedia Sciences Section
Associate Member
Section Requirements
- AAFS Basic Requirements for Associate Member must be fulfilled; and
- Applicant must have earned a baccalaureate degree and have five (5) years of experience in one of the forensic sciences within the scope of coverage acceptable to the section, or a master's degree and four (4) years of similar experience, or a doctorate degree and three (3) years of similar experience.
- NOTE: Past experience is counted if: (a) related to current forensic discipline field, and (b) was not required to obtain educational degree; and
- Demonstrate current involvement in the forensic discipline for which applying; and
- Two (2) letters of reference. One (1) reference must be from a full Member, Fellow, Retired Member, or Retired Fellow of the AAFS. The second letter may be from an AAFS member, or an acceptable reference from someone active in the forensic sciences. References must be able to comment knowledgeably on the applicant's qualifications. Exceptions to this requirement may be considered for applicants residing outside of the United States and Canada, in which case, one or both references may be from non-members who can comment knowledgeably on the applicant's qualifications. These references will be evaluated and will be accepted if approved by a majority vote of the members present at an annual business meeting of the section. Since the AAFS Board of Directors approval occurs before the section business meetings, those seeking a waiver of requirements will be delayed approval of the application for one (1) year.
Engineering & Applied Sciences Section
Associate Member
Section Requirements
- AAFS Basic Requirements for Associate Member must be fulfilled; and
- Applicant must provide proof of a baccalaureate or graduate degree from an accredited four-year college or university in engineering or an engineering- related science; and
- Be actively engaged in the application of forensic engineering science for a minimum of four (4) years, or a master's degree and three (3) years of similar experience, or an earned doctoral degree can be substituted and two (2) years of similar experience; and
- Provide the highest relevant degree, graduate or undergraduate, along with photocopies of certificates, diplomas, degrees, and licensures, which must accompany the application; and
- Provide proof of active participation in the field of forensic engineering science over the past (4) four years, such as client references, court appearances including court case numbers, engineering research or projects related to forensic engineering; and
- Two (2) letters of reference. At least one (1) reference shall be from either a full Member or Fellow of the AAFS. References must be able to comment knowledgeably on the applicant's qualifications.
General Section
Associate Member
Section Requirements
- AAFS Basic Requirements for Associate Member must be fulfilled; and
- Applicant must have earned a baccalaureate degree and have five (5) years of full-time experience or 7.5 years part-time experience in one (1) of the forensic sciences within the scope of coverage acceptable to the section, or a master's degree and four (4) years of similar full-time experience or 6.5 years part-time experience, or a doctorate degree and three (3) years of similar full-time experience or 4.5 years part-time experience. NOTE: Past experience is counted if: (a) related to current forensic discipline field, and (b) was not required to obtain educational degree; and
- Demonstrate current involvement in the forensic discipline for which applying; and
- Two (2) letters of reference. One (1) reference must be from a full Member, Fellow, or Retired Fellow of the General Section. The second reference may be from a General Section member, an AAFS member, or an acceptable reference from someone active in the forensic sciences. References must be able to comment knowledgeably on the applicant's qualifications.
Jurisprudence Section
Associate Member
Section Requirements
- AAFS Basic Requirements for Associate Member must be fulfilled; and
- Applicant must have received a law degree at least two (2) years prior to the date of application for Associate Member; or
- Have had a license in good standing to practice law for at least two (2) years immediately prior to application for Associate Member; or
- Have received a law degree at least one (1) year prior to the date of application for Associate Member and have participated in a minimum of one (1) program of the Academy prior to becoming an Associate Member. Participation may include the presentation of papers, acting as a moderator or panelist of a program, or serving as an active member of a committee of the Jurisprudence Section; or
- Have a license in good standing to practice law at least one (1) year immediately prior to the date of application for Associate Member and have participated in a minimum of one (1) program of the Academy prior to becoming an Associate Member. Participation may include the presentation of papers, acting as a moderator or panelist of a program, or serving as an active member of a committee of the Jurisprudence Section; or
- Have received a law degree or a license in good standing to practice law during the year immediately prior to the meeting at which Associate Member is considered and have participated in a minimum of one (1) program of the Academy as a Student Affiliate; or
- Have completed such other academic and professional achievements, both in law and in forensic science, in a foreign country over a period of not less than six (6) years deemed to be substantially equivalent to the requirements of the Academy by the section chair and secretary at the time of the application, and
- Two (2) letters of reference. References are not required to be members of the AAFS, but must be able to comment knowledgeably on the applicant's qualifications.
Odontology Section
Associate Member
Section Requirements
- AAFS Basic Requirements for Associate Member must be fulfilled; and
- Applicant must have earned a dental degree (DDS, DMD, or equivalent); and
- Applicant must complete forty (40) hours of Forensic Odontology education. This coursework shall be completed in the seven (7) years preceding application and must include: a. A minimum of four (4) hours of Bitemarks, four (4) hours of Dental Identification, and four hours of either Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) or Age Estimation; b. The balance of courses may be on any topic relevant to Forensic Odontology; c. Applicant may gain a maximum of either eight (8) hours of credit by attending the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Forensic Odontology or eight (8) hours of the AAFS Scientific Sessions of the Odontology Section; d. Certificates from these courses submitted must contain the learning objectives and outcomes and how those were met as well as the number of hours per topic; and
- Be actively associated with an agency engaged in forensic odontology; and
- Have one (1) year or more of experience in forensic odontology; and
- Two (2) letters of reference. References must be either full Members or Fellows of the Odontology Section of the AAFS and must be able to comment knowledgeably on the applicant's qualifications. International applicants residing outside of North America (defined as United States, Canada, and Mexico), who are unable to secure the required two (2) letters of reference, may submit one (1) letter of reference from a full Member or Fellow of the Odontology Section of the AAFS and one (1) letter of reference from a non-member who are of appropriate professional standing and can comment knowledgeably on the applicant's qualifications.
Pathology/Biology Section
Associate Member
Section Requirements
- AAFS Basic Requirements for Associate Member must be fulfilled; and
- Applicants must have earned a medical degree (MD, DO, DVM, or International Equivalent that would permit medical licensure in the United States or Canada), or a PhD in a biological science and have been actively engaged in their field of interest for at least one (1) year; and
- Be actively engaged in the field of forensic science, including: forensic medicine, veterinary medicine, or other biological science at the time of application; and
- Have made a significant contribution to the literature of forensic sciences, or have been pursuing a course of study as a resident in pathology or the disciplines described in paragraph 3, or have advanced the cause of forensic science in some other significant manner; and
- Two (2) letters of reference. References must be full Members or Fellows of the AAFS and must be able to comment knowledgeably on the applicant's qualifications.
- Provide a curriculum vitae or resume that indicates all items relevant to forensic science education, training, e mployment and/or teaching.
- Areas of interest within the Pathology/Biology Section include, but are not limited to, the forensic application of:
- Botany
- Ecology
- Entomology
- Microbiology
- Palynology
- Medicine
- Veterinary Medicine
Psychiatry & Behavioral Science Section
Associate Member
Section Requirements
- AAFS Basic Requirements for Associate Member must be fulfilled; and
- Psychiatrists must hold an MD or DO degree, and have completed an ACGME-approved residency in psychiatry, and must devote the majority of their medical practice in the specialty of psychiatry.
- Clinical Psychologists must meet the following requirements:a. PhD or PsyD degree in clinical, neuro-, forensic, counseling, or school psychology from a program approved by the American Psychological Association, and completion of an internship approved by the American Psychological Association; or b. a PhD or PsyD degree in clinical, neuro-, forensic, counseling, or school psychology from a program approved by one (1) of the six (6) regional accrediting institutions of U.S. Department of Education, and licensure to practice psychology in one state, and successful passing of the Examination for the Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP).
- Research Psychologists must have a PhD in any other area of psychology not covered above, approved by one (1) of the six (6) regional accrediting institutions of the U.S. Department of Education, and have substantial evidence of multiple publications in the peer-reviewed literature of direct relevance to forensic behavioral science.
Questioned Documents Section
Associate Member
Section Requirements
- AAFS Basic Requirements for Associate Member must be fulfilled; and
- Must have an earned baccalaureate or higher academic degree from an accredited college or university; and
- Have successfully completed and documented formalized training in the field of questioned document examination for at least two (2) years duration from a recognized questioned document laboratory or under the direct supervision of document examiners who are Members or Fellows of the Questioned Documents Section of the Academy, or a voting member of ASQDE, or who are Diplomates of the ABFDE (the section recognizes ASTM 2388-11 and the Scientific Working Group for Forensic Document Examination ((SWGDOC Standard for Minimum Training Requirements for Forensic Document Examiners)) as the basic guides for fundamental training in the field); and
- Be actively engaged or employed full-time in the examination of questioned documents for at least two (2) years, independent of any program of training, and for that period must be personally responsible for conducting and reporting such examinations without technical supervision; and
- Two (2) letters of reference. References must be full Members or Fellows of the Questioned Documents Section of the AAFS and must be able to comment knowledgeably on the applicant's qualifications. Exceptions to this requirement may be considered for applicants residing outside of the United States and Canada, in which case, one or both references may be from persons other than Members or Fellows of the Academy. These references will be evaluated and will be accepted if approved by a majority vote of the members present at an annual business meeting of the section. Since the AAFS Board of Directors approval occurs before the section business meetings, those seeking a waiver of requirements will be delayed approval of the application for one (1) year.
Toxicology Section
Associate Member
Section Requirements
- AAFS Basic Requirements for Associate Member must be fulfilled; and
- Applicant must have earned a baccalaureate or graduate degree in one (1) of the natural sciences from an accredited institution, and sixteen (16) semester credit hours in chemistry; and
- Provide transcripts of chemistry credits, for both graduate, if applicable, and undergraduate. International applicants will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis if their transcripts do not document the required sixteen (16) hours of chemistry as hours or credits and may be subject to additional requirements; and
- Be actively engaged in forensic toxicology for at least one (1) year immediately prior to application; and a. Have made a significant contribution to the literature of forensic toxicology; or b. Have been pursuing a course of study for at least one (1) year for an advanced degree applicable to the educational needs of a forensic toxicologist; or c. Have advanced the cause of forensic toxicology by laboratory service or in some other significant manner; and
- Two (2) letters of reference. At least one (1) reference must be from a full Member or Fellow of the Toxicology Section of the AAFS and must be able to comment knowledgeably on the applicant's qualifications. One may be from an individual who can comment knowledgeably about the applicant's involvement in forensic toxicology (such as supervisor). Exceptions to this requirement may be considered for applicants residing outside of the United States and Canada, in which case, two references from non-members must be submitted and may be otherwise evaluated or accepted if approved by a majority vote of the membership present at an annual business meeting of the section.
Forensic Nursing Science Section
Associate Member
Section Requirements
- AAFS Basic Requirements for Associate Member must be fulfilled; and
- Applicant must be a Registered Nurse with a baccalaureate degree and have five (5) years of experience in one of the forensic sciences within the scope of coverage acceptable to the section, or a master's degree and four (4) years of similar experience, or a doctorate degree and three (3) years of similar experience. NOTE: Past experience is counted if: (a) related to current forensic discipline field, and (b) was not required to obtain educational degree; and
- Demonstrate current involvement in the forensic discipline for which applying; and submit for inspection a complete curriculum vitae indicative of active engagement, publication, pursuit of a career, or other contribution to the application of nursing to forensic science; and
- Provide two (2) letters of reference. One (1) reference must be from a full Member, Fellow, Retired Member, or Retired Fellow of the Forensic Nursing Science Section. The other reference may be from an AAFS member, or from someone active in the forensic sciences. References must be able to comment knowledgeably on the applicant's qualifications and must address the candidate's aptitude in and contributions to forensic nursing.