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Find the Forensic Science Degree to Fit Your Needs

Building a career in forensic science requires the courage to dive into a constantly expanding pool of research and practice. You will need a solid educational foundation to be competitive in this exciting interdisciplinary field. Forensic science degree programs integrate science, law, and technology with a focus on practical skills for laboratory analysis and criminal investigation.

If you’re eager to get started, you can find a job as a forensic technician with just an associate’s degree. You’ll get an even stronger start with a bachelor’s degree. However, the best jobs demand specialized skills that you learn by pursuing a forensic science master’s degree, medical degree, or other post-graduate degrees.

Associate Degrees

A forensic science degree at the associate level typically takes two years to complete. You will learn the following in this type of degree program:

• The basics of analyzing and evaluating physical evidence
• An overview of forensic laboratory technology
• Crime scene analysis
• Fingerprint technology
• Document analysis
• Examination procedures
• Introduction to forensic medicine, forensic dentistry, anthropology, psychology, and pathology

A forensic science degree at this level will qualify you for entry-level jobs in forensic laboratories. After you finish your associate’s degree program, you will also be able to transfer to a bachelor’s degree at another college or university.

Bachelor’s Degrees

In a 4-year forensic science degree program, you will gain a more complete understanding of the evidentiary process in criminal investigation and prosecution. Although some bachelor’s level programs allow you to specialize in a particular area of forensic science, most offer a more in-depth version of the content addressed in associate’s degrees in forensic science. Areas of study include:

• Physical sciences, including biology, chemistry, and physics
• Criminal justice processes
• Criminal investigation methods
• Criminal psychology
• Laboratory skills and techniques
• Applicable law and regulations
• Ethics and professional standards

A forensic science degree at this level will qualify you to work as a criminal investigator or forensic science specialist. With a bachelor’s degree, you can find jobs in forensic laboratories, police departments, government agencies, hospitals, and medical examiner’s or coroner’s offices.

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Master’s Degrees and Doctoral Degrees

At the master’s level and beyond, forensic science degree programs become more specialized. Here are some of the specialties you can pursue with a forensic science master’s degree:

• Crime scene investigation
• Forensic chemistry
• Forensic toxicology
• Computer forensics
• The science of forensic DNA
• Forensic microscopy and trace analysis
• Forensic molecular biology
• Forensic psychology

If you have particular goals for your forensic science career, a specific type of graduate degree may be required:

• Forensic anthropologist: requires a doctorate (PhD)
• Forensic dentist: requires a doctor of dental surgery degree (DDS)
• Forensic pathologist or medical examiner: requires a medical degree (MD)
• Forensic psychologist: many positions require a PhD or PsyD in clinical psychology, as well as post-graduate training in forensic psychology

Licensing and Certification

Once you complete your forensic science education, you’re not required to become licensed in order to work. However, certification from a professional agency can showcase your ability in the field and give you a leg up against other job candidates.

There are a number of forensic specialty boards offering certification:

• The American Board of Criminalistics
• The American Board of Forensic Entomology
• The American Board of Forensic Document Examiners
• The American Board of Forensic Toxicology
• The National Registry in Clinical Chemistry (certifies forensic toxicologists)
• The American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI), which confers the title of Registered Medicolegal Death Investigator