The Problem with “CSI” and Crime Fiction on TV and in the Movies
It’s a familiar scene on TV or in the movies:
- A forensic team races up in a fancy car/van.
- Crime scene technicians jump out and process the scene.
- The actors take the evidence back to the lab.
- They identify trace evidence and match it to suspect and motive.
- When something is “fishy”, they re-examine evidence, and find the critical missing piece.
- The actors interview the suspects, show them the evidence, and collect their confessions.
- They wrap up the entire crime in an hour (or maybe a 2 part cliffhanger plot).
Cool? Very Cool! Accurate to the real world? No way!
The movies and TV shows are famous for blurring the lines between criminal justice/law enforcement activities and the scientific analysis to characterize the evidence collected at the scene of the crime. These are distinct and separate aspects to the legal system.
The Real World of Forensic Science
Crime scene technicians collect and log evidence, but rarely analyze it. All materials are usually turned over to the forensic specialists for analysis. Crime scene technicians are often (but not always) police officers, and rarely have extensive scientific training in smaller communities, although this trend might change in the future. The pay isn’t glamorous and the hours are long.
Medical Examiners/Forensic Pathologists perform autopsies; determine the mode and time of death. These jobs require specialized training after medical school.
Forensic Dentistry (for victim identification) requires a dentist with a forensic specialty.
Forensic scientists are specialists with little knowledge of or pre-conceived opinion of the actual crime scene. They analyze the evidence (identify, categorize, comparison match), reconstruct the scene from blood spatters and ballistic evidence and prepare a written report of the analytical results. They have no contact with the actual criminals, and their analysis must not be affected by outside knowledge. Their testimony can be used for the prosecution or for the defense.
Detectives correlate evidence with motive, means and opportunity information, eyewitness reports and develop possible scenarios consistent with the evidence. They might pursue “fishy” stories, but have nothing to do with the analysis of evidence due to potential conflict of interest.
Cases with sufficient evidence are brought forward to the District Attorney, and may be pursued in the court of law, where the crime scene technician, the forensic scientist or any other specialist may be called to testify in the case.
Resolution of cases takes months, even years and is rarely as glamorous as portrayed in even the simplest case in fiction.
You’ll need persistence, skill and specialized knowledge to participate in the analysis of a crime, but you will also have to choose which aspect of crime fighting you want to pursue, since you can’t be a “CSI” like on TV.
Can I Prepare for a Forensic Science Career at Alma?
Yes! Forensic science is a fascinating career but, first and foremost, it is a SCIENCE !
Alma College provides rigorous training in the sciences with required laboratories that involve access to cutting edge equipment. Whether it is the DNA-PCR cyclers or DNA sequence analysis, the compound separation techniques of gas or liquid chromatography, or identification techniques such as UV, IR, mass spec, or even FT NMR, you’ll find yourself with plenty of hands-on practice appropriate for forensic science analysis.
Why doesn’t Alma have a Forensic Science Major?
The following trends seem clear:
- The need for forensic scientists is growing.
- Budgets at the state and local level are not increasing.
- A traditional science degree means you can be employed until the job market opens up.
- Scientific analysis is increasingly useful in many careers where the title Forensic Science would not be appropriate.
- A master’s degree in Forensic Science (based on a chemistry, biochemistry, biology or physical anthropology undergraduate degree) is becoming increasingly important in the field.
We believe you shouldn’t limit your employment opportunities too soon in your career. Specialize and you could find yourself with few job opportunities and a degree too narrow to shift in other directions that would be equally satisfying.
Therefore, we suggest that you consider one of the following options to prepare at Alma:
- Biochemistry major (BCM) with a biology minor
- Chemistry major (CHM), possibly the ASC degree, with a biology minor
- Biology major (BIO) with a chemistry minor (which can include biochemistry)
These are not watered down classes; your potential pathways include medical/dental school or graduate school in any of these areas in addition to application to forensic science graduate programs across the country.
You can investigate any of these options by selecting the appropriate “Departments” page (under Academics) on the Alma College Web Page. A few specific courses to look for are:
- BCM 321: Biochemistry
- BCM/BIO 380: Toxicology
- BCM/BIO 430: Molecular Genetics
- BIO 204: Genetics
- BIO 207: Physiology
- BIO 301: Cell Biology
- BIO 304: Biology of Vertebrates (animal skeletons)
- BIO 308
- BIO 382: Histology (study of tissues, production of microscope slides)
- EHS 340: Pharmacology (see the Exercise and Health Sciences Department)
- EHS 344: Human Anatomy (with cadaver lab) (see dept above)
- MTH 116: Statistics (and higher level math is also good)
And, of course, there is the possibility of undergraduate research projects in any department. Dr. Grimnes (Biology) and Dr. Strait (Chemistry) have both participated in a national education program in Forensic Science and have offered Crime Scene classes. One project involved brand comparison of cyanoacrylate glues for fuming (developing) fingerprints.
Perhaps the American Academy of Forensic Scientists (AAFS) web site says it best when it recommends:
“The minimum requirement is a bachelor's degree in
chemistry, biology, physics, molecular biology, or a related science.
In the future, a master’s degree may be required. Many colleges and
universities offer degrees and courses in forensic science. In deciding
whether to get a degree in chemistry or biology, or one in forensic
science, study the courses offered. At least 24 semester hours of
either chemistry or biology is required and math is a must. The title
of the degree is not as important as the courses taken.”
At Alma, you’ll get a great deal more science than the minimum suggested above. You’ll be very well prepared for your future!
One more thing. A criminal record, or drug use, will make it impossible to work in this field.
A Liberal Arts Approach
In addition to their specific science background, a forensic scientist is expected to be a critical thinker with attention to detail, have personal integrity, excellent speaking and scientific writing skills and a deep streak of curiosity that drives analysis forward.
We suggest these natural skills can be augmented by available coursework, such as:
- PHL 103: Critical Thinking
- PHL 228: Ethics and Law
- COM 111: Speech Communication
- Research methods/science writing classes found in every science major
A liberal arts college such as Alma also supports your learning across a wide array of disciplines. You might consider:
- ENG 134: The Detective Novel
- HST 121: American Legal History
- SOC 111: Introduction to Anthropology
- SOC 214: Biological Anthropology
- SOC 243: Deviance
- PSY 121: Psychology
- PSY 212: Personality
- PSY 314: Abnormal Psychology
There are many other suggestions to help you select the exact courses most helpful in gaining the expertise you need while keeping your options open!
After Graduation
After graduation from Alma College with a B.S. degree, you may wish to continue into a graduate program to obtain a Master’s degree in Forensic Science, or you can enter the job market directly.
Most jobs require experience in a forensic lab before they will hire you, so the only way to get it is to participate in “internships” at a crime lab around the state.
We can’t emphasize enough that getting a job in this area is still quite difficult, which is why your chances of “catching the bad guys” may be better in other areas, such as product safety, the agencies listed below, or in private lab companies. Alma grads have done just that.
Where do “Forensic” Scientists work?
Many jobs are in the law enforcement field but there are lots of opportunities to apply the same curiosity, attention to detail and love of catching the “offender” that don’t directly involve the criminal justice system.
Most of these jobs require additional training or experience after the B.S. degree, but most don’t require that an undergraduate degree of “Forensic science”.
Government Agencies (in addition to State Police Labs)
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)
- Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- United States Postal Service (USPS)
- Secret Service
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
- US Fish and Wildlife Service (poaching/smuggling)
- Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL)
- Disaster Mortuary Operations Response Teams (DMORT)
- Food and Drug Administration Investigations (FDA)
- U.S. Immigrations/U.S. Customs
Specialty Businesses
- Toxicology labs
- DNA labs
- Research lab in most of the life science areas
- Product liability/recall
- Fire insurance investigation
Useful Websites and Resources
Please be sure to contact police departments/crime labs and interview current hires about the realities of the job, as well as job trends. Be sure to ask how/why they were drawn to this work as a career. This is one field where you can’t be too prepared!
These web sites may also be helpful:
American Academy of Forensic Scientists
- Professional organization for Forensic Scientists
- Information on career planning and education
- Job lists to see level of experience required and number of jobs available
Society of Forensic Toxicology SOFT
- Professional organization for Forensic Toxicologists
American Board of Criminalistics
- For certain certificate programs
