Saturday, August 7, 2010

Forensic Science Degrees

Through forensic science, many crimes that were considered unsolvable fifty years ago are finally getting their justice. From the smallest scrap of evidence, full accounts of the crime can be deduced, and the right people can be held accountable.

In recent years, advancements in technology, such as DNA profiling, have made crime solving faster and more accurate. Forensics produces scientifically proven and supported pieces of evidences that are legally binding in court.

The career of a forensics expert is segmented into three basic progressions. An expert may begin as a laboratory analyst, analyzing evidence gathered from the crime scene and preparing comprehensive reports of the findings. He may progress into a forensic scientist who identifies and gathers evidences at the crime scenes. He may process the evidences himself or pass them on to the laboratory analysts. The forensics expert is the one who, with the aid of years of experience, technical expertise and scientific knowledge, puts the pieces of evidence and analyses together to arrive at conclusions. A forensic scientist may become a reporting officer, responsible for appearing in courts, before judges and juries to present evidence and defend the findings in cross-examinations.

Students who take up forensics science take such courses as criminalistics, forensic entomology, forensic engineering, forensic toxicology, forensic psychology and psychiatry, and forensic accounting. These various fields touch on a wide spectrum of knowledge and expertise - from studying fingerprints, saliva, and other DNA evidence to identify people, to studying the effects of chemicals and toxins; from investigating machine wear and tear and durability and integrity of materials, to analyzing behavior, thought patterns, and handwriting to arrive at conclusions.

Those interested in the field of forensic science are advised to take up various courses related to the sciences before taking up the study of forensics. A solid background on the sciences will prepare the students to comprehend and better appreciate the world of forensic science.

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