Certificate course in Forensic Ballistics, Faculty of Defence & Strategic Studies at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University

The Faculty of Defence and Strategic Studies at KDU offers a specialized short-term program called the Certificate Course in Forensic Ballistics, which aims to familiarize learners with the theory and methods of firearm-related crime investigation. Covering both theoretical and practical components, the course provides a detailed understanding of ballistics, firearms operation, ammunition types, crime scene evidence collection, wound analysis, and the reconstruction of shooting incidents.

Through hands-on experience with live firings and real-world case examples, you can gain valuable insights into how ballistic evidence is gathered, analyzed, and presented in court. With sessions held exclusively on Saturdays over a three-month period, the course is ideal for working professionals in the legal, law enforcement, medical, and military fields, as well as for students pursuing related disciplines. It is taught by a globally recognized expert in forensic ballistics, ensuring a high standard of instruction and international relevance.

• Duration : 3 months on Saturdays, starting from August 2025

• Medium of Instructions : Mainly English but Sinhala will also be used depending on the participants’ preference.

• Mode : On-Site

• The course fee : The course fee is 45,000/.

Methods of Evaluation :

1. Two assignments on firearms/ ammunition and firearm evidence (60%).

2. One group presentation on firearm investigation cases (20%).

3. A field assessment at the range on crime scene reconstruction (20%).

Entry Qualifications

• 3 passes in GCE A/L in any subject stream and A pass in GCE O/L English.

The course only applicable to,

• Police officers

• Legal professionals

• Medical professionals

• Prison officials

• Custom and wildlife officers

• Any officers associated with the criminal justice system

• Criminology/ criminal justice graduates and final-year undergraduate students of Law,

• Medicine and Criminal Justice

All participants must provide proof of their professional status/ studentship at the time of
registration). Any other professionals not mentioned above must obtain approval to follow the
course from the VC KDU, with the recommendation of DVC (Def & admin) and Dean FDSS.

Demonstrations/ Practicals

• Location : Army Live Firing Range PANAGODA (1-2 days, based on the no of participants).

• Transport : Free shuttle from KDU to the firing range and back.

• Refreshments : Free tea and lunch provided at the firing range.

The demonstrations or practicals include live firing to understand firearms discharge, demonstration on GSR/bullet hole identification, soot patterns/ empty case ejection patterns, vehicle shooting investigations, bullet trajectory plotter software application and firearm wounds and interpretation using pig skins.

All participants who successfully complete the course will be awarded a certificate with five credits and to pass the course, 80% attendance at lectures and full participation in demonstrations/ practical sessions are mandated.

For more information and to apply, visit the official KDU website for the Certificate course in Forensic Ballistics.