The Science of Criminal Investigations - What is Studied in Forensic Science?

Forensic science is one of the youngest sciences in the world. It focuses on the study of the physical evidence that is created by a crime or related event. Forensic science can lead to a number of professions that relate to the collection, examination and interpretation of physical evidence including medical examiner, crime lab analyst, crime scene examiner, forensic engineer, forensic psychologist, and technical forensic adviser.

Crime Scene Examiner

The first profession that many people think about when they think about forensic science is the crime scene examiner. This person is responsible for managing the collection and documentation of physical evidence at a crime scene. This person usually doesn't analyze the data, as this is done by another professional. They instead are trained in how to protect evidence from becoming damaged, lost or contaminated. This career requires an understanding of physics, biology and of ballistics.

Crime Lab Analyst

The next career in forensic science is the crime lab analyst. This person is responsible for processing and analyzing the physical evidence that is collected. This person will utilize a variety of tools to examine the evidence including a microscope, chemical analysis tests and ballistic tests. They will also utilize their understanding of criminology in order to draw conclusions.

Medical Examiner

A medical examiner is a forensic scientist that has a medical degree. This doctor will examine a body to determine the cause of death in cases of suspected suicide or murder. The medical examiner may also examine bodies from car accidents and industrial accidents that involve a fatal injury. Their examination often times uncovers evidence that can be used to link a suspect to the crime or to other illegal activities like drug use and rape.

Forensic Psychologist

A forensic psychologist is a forensic scientist that has a psychology degree. There are several levels of degrees that you can obtain including a bachelor's degree, a master's degree and a Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology. Forensic psychology utilizes the sciences of psychology and criminology to complete specific tasks to help solve a crime. For example, they use special techniques to questions witnesses and criminals with psychological or emotional disabilities and witnesses that are children. They also utilize their understanding of psychological theories to create profiles for criminals that are still at large.

Forensic Engineer

A forensic engineer is a classically trained engineer that utilizes their skills to examine physical evidence at structural crime and accidents scenes. For example, in the case of a train derailment a forensic engineering may be called in to see if the train or track had been tampered with or to determine the cause of the "accident." These professionals will also examine structural fires, explosion sites and industrial accident sites.

Technical Forensic Adviser

One of the newest careers to be spawn out of forensic science is the technical forensic adviser. This professional is skills in computer science. They use their computer background to find and analyze physical evidence of computer crimes like hackers and malware developers. The evidence that they collect and analyze are digital in nature and require special expertise in programming and IT systems.