Career Opportunities in Forensic Science
The role of forensic scientists is vital to the criminal justice process since the scientific breakdown of evidence is crucial in determining an accused person?s guilt or innocence in a crime. Therefore, forensic science degree courses develop a technical understanding of key scientific principles placed within the context of law and the legal system.
Forensic scientists help to solve crimes by collecting and analyzing physical evidence and other facts found at the scene. They specifically analyze fingerprints, blood, semen, firearms, saliva, and drugs, and may also reconstruct skeletal bones.
The Forensic Science Service recruit at various levels from technical support to reporting officers. Jobs for forensic science technicians are expected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations.
To seek career in forensic science one must acquire a four-year degree in physics, biology, microbiology, chemistry, medical technology, or genetics, to obtain an entry-level job in forensic science. Taking classes in law and communication can also be helpful. In addition, experience in a laboratory may be required by some crime labs.
The skills required by the forensic scientists as Logical, unbiased and methodical in your approach to solving problems, great patience and concentration, high quality analytical work and excellent hand-eye coordination is essential. Should be able to work in stressful situations. It is also important for forensic scientists to be good speakers and proficient writers as they will be required to write up a number of reports, and may be called upon to witness in court.
The forensic science has various categories of work for scientific professionals as:
Medical Examiner requires a medical degree and deals with dead bodies in cutting up and investigating the cause of death.
Forensic odontologist has similar educational requirements to the medical examiner except in dentistry. They generally are dentists who practice as consultants rather than as full-time forensic scientists.
Crime Laboratory Analyst will have good pay and they generally work indoors with relatively stable work hours. The crime laboratory usually requires a bachelor’s degree in a natural science for any of the specialties. The best degree overall is chemistry.
Forensic Engineer will deal with traffic accidents, fire investigations, and a variety of wrongful injury cases. The forensic engineer requires an engineering degree specialties include electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, materials engineering and traffic engineering.
Crime Scene Examiner work whenever and wherever crime occurs, indoors or outdoors, day or night, and have to be able to deal with dead bodies and other messy situations but there certainly is a lot less routine. The crime scene examiner should have a bachelor’s degree either in a natural science with emphasis in law enforcement and crime scene processing or a criminal justice degree with emphasis in natural science.
Psychologist, social scientist and statistician and Technical analysts usually work in an investigative unit and generally work in a lab-like environment but respond similarly to crime scene personnel.
Employment in forensic science is an obvious option for graduates with a forensic science degree, and although this is an expanding area of employment opportunities are still limited. Forensic scientists employed by the government are typically able to work a 40-hour work week. However, specific deadlines, and an increasing number of caseloads may require overtime. Forensic scientists who are skilled and experienced are continuously being required.