Study Forensic Science

The term ‘forensic’ relates to the use of scientific techniques and methods to investigate crimes. The word forensic is derived from the Latin word ‘forensis’, meaning an open court or forum. In Ancient Rome, this was where the law courts were held and aspects of law were debated by the judiciary.

Modern day forensic science is concerned with the application of science to the administration of law.  The goal of forensic science is to match:

• Suspect to crime scene
  
  
• Suspect to victim
  
  
• Victim to crime scene
  
  
• Victim to suspect
  
  
• Crime scene to crime scene

Forensic science is not a single science as such, but is an umbrella term for many different scientific methods of analysing evidence. To be a competent forensic scientist you first have to be good at science and have an understanding of areas such as biology, physics, chemistry, and computer science. There are a number of specialist fields within forensic science which focus on examining different types of evidence. These include things like fingerprint analysis, firearms and ballistics, and drug testing. 

On the periphery of forensic science are some specialised fields of investigation. These include things like forensic entomology (study of insects at crime scenes), odontology (forensic dentistry), and palynology (study of pollen and spore evidence).   

COURSE CONTENT

There are ten lessons in this course as follows:

1. Nature of Forensic Science 
2. Forensic Science & Law
3. Evidence Collection
4. Analysis of Evidence
5. Specialist Forensic Services
6. Criminology
7. Psychological Disorders & Crime
8. Criminal Profiling & Intelligence
9. Presenting Evidence in Court 
10. Ethical Issues 

DURATION:   100 hours of self paced study