About Terri Armenta, PhD, MSFS
Experienced Educator & Program Director
I'm Terri Armenta. I have over 20 years of teaching forensic science, criminalistics, and criminal justice—leading The Forensic Science Academy, CSI Training Academy, and other training programs.
My passion is helping and mentoring students to become agency-ready professionals.
I have a PhD in Education (Distance Learning & Instructional Design) and MS in Forensic Science—combining evidence-based pedagogy with deep domain expertise.
Recognized Subject Matter Expert (SME)
I translate expectations into clear learning outcomes, build scenario-based labs that feel like the field, and design rubrics that measure what actually matters on day one of the job. I move fast, deliver on time, and back every decision with evidence—from pilot data to assessment maps.
With an MS in Forensic Science and a PhD in Education (instructional design), I bridge the “how it’s really done” with “how we teach it so it sticks.”
Forensic & Criminal Justice Courses I Teach
I teach across forensic science, crime scene investigation, criminalistics, and criminal justice with a job-ready focus. Recent and past courses I’ve led include Introduction to Criminal Justice, Introduction to Criminology, Criminal Investigation, Victimology, Criminal Justice Ethics, and a Professional Strategies Capstone; laboratory-driven courses like Criminalistics and Introduction to Forensic Science; and hands-on modules such as Basic Crime Scene Investigations, Chemical Processing in Forensic Science, Report Writing, and Forensics & Crime Scene Investigation,
In each, I align outcomes to agency competencies, run scenario labs that generate portfolio artifacts, and hold students to courtroom-ready standards in documentation, evidence handling, and clear communication.
Proven Student & Workforce Impact
I design every course as a pipeline to real work. I reverse-engineer job postings into a clear competency map—documentation, photography, evidence recovery, report writing, courtroom communication, ethics—and build labs and engaging online activities that hit each target. Every scenario yields usable proof, such as photo logs, diagrams, measurement sheets, and chain-of-custody forms, which are baked into the workflow so students produce defensible work from day one.
Contact Information
Let's Collaborate
Please contact me for teaching, curriculum design, instructional design, or consulting opportunities.
Email: armenta.terri@gmail.com