Forensic science and technology
Forensic science and technology is the application of science and technology to criminal and civil matters i.e. in criminal and justice matters. As technology becomes used in every aspect of our lives, it is no wonder that solving crimes has become almost futuristic in its advances. Technology is now applied to almost every aspect of human life. Ranging from eye treatments, use of technology to find out what’s wrong with the most remote part of the internal human body system, to any other thing you can actually thing of. Forensic science is the fastest growing field in the US due to the exponential rate of technological advancements and their use in crime detection.
A forensic science technician handles facts from crime scenes for police departments. They are very active in catching, convicting and acquitting criminal suspects in justice matters. They collect data from criminal scenes and take them to laboratories where tests are carried out with them and with it, justice is granted to people who it is due to. Some of them work permanently in laboratories while others are specialized and trained to collect specimen and other data from crime scenes. They also testify in court and are highly paid because of the nature of their jobs.
The forensic technology field includes a wide range of processes to prevent and control crime. Their work is mainly done in different places which includes the following; in security firms, security patrol firms, law enforcement agencies, juvenile justice centers, e.t.c.
Forensic Science Careers
Studying Forensic Science can fetch you a good paid job which could be any of the following:
1.
Bloodstain Analyst:
Also known as a “blood pattern analyst” or “blood spatter analyst”. They are responsible for studying the nature of blood evidence from a crime scene through bloodstain to ascertain what occurred at the scene of the crime. They do so using varieties of devices which include blood pattern software which can tell whether someone died of stabbing, gunshot, etc.
2.
Forensic Botanist:
A forensic botanist studies plant and mineral matter found at the scene of the crime. With their specialized knowledge, they can ascertain the spot of death using some observations from the plants and mineral matters found.
3.
Forensic Dentist:
Those in forensic dentistry are also called ondontologists. They are mainly in charge of determining the identity of a deceased person through his or her teeth’s position or jaw line. With this, they can sketch the persons’ facial description with which the police can find out so many things about him.
4.
DNA Analyst:
These analysts extract DNA from items found at a crime scene to determine the identity of the perpetrator or the identity of the victim even if the victim’s body or the perpetrators are absent. DNA sequencer, is used in cases where those samples are highly degraded, which allows them to analyze old bones or teeth to determine the specific ordering of a person’s DNA nucleobases, and generate a “read” or a unique DNA pattern that can help identify that person as a possible suspect or criminal.
5.
Forensic Psychologist:
They work with criminals to determine whether or not they are mentally competent, and then testify about their investigations in court. They also work with victims of crimes to provide appropriate counseling services. Unlike other forensic science professions, forensic psychology deals with circumstantial evidence, such as an individual’s psychological makeup and past behaviors, rather than physical evidence.
6.
Toxicologist:
Toxicology is a process that draws from medicine and chemistry the scientific study of the characteristics and effects of poisons. People, who specialize in this field, are concerned with identifying the impacts of toxins in the crime scene with which further investigations can be made towards identifying the true cause of the crime.
Universities that offer online degrees in forensic science and technology
There are many online schools that
offer degree and masters programs on forensic science,
and their list are inexhaustible. We just listed some of them that are credible and reliable for online forensic degrees. Although, they are scattered in different places, at the end of the program, they issue certificates that are recognized worldwide that can be used to seek employment anywhere.
#1 www.nu.edu: National university: they offer masters of forensic sciences (MFS) which is a specialized professional degree designed for law enforcement, lab personnel, attorneys, investigators, etc.
#2 university of Florida: is an award winning online forensic science graduate program with more than 1000 graduates from over 40 countries. They offer four master’s degrees and four specialized graduate certificates. Students are admitted year round and produce professionals in crime and medical diagnostic labs, medical examiner’s offices, prosecution attorney’s offices, criminal defense, etc.
#4
university of Maryland :
in the course of your program, you would learn how to apply scientific method to draw conclusions regarding forensic information, report and articulate analysis and information to people, etc.
#5
university of Derby
#6
university of central Lancashire
Over to you
As I earlier mentioned, the list is inexhaustible, you can share other universities that offer forensic science degrees online on the comment box. Also, be kind to share this post with friends. Hope the post helps…
