Scope of work: Criminalists analyze, compare, identify and interpret physical evidence, then report results for use in the justice system. Forensic labs have two main functions, mainly to identify evidence and linking individuals, objects, and locations through physical evidence. The main role of the criminalist is to objectively apply scientific techniques to examine physical evidence. This is exactly the kind of role that forensic science is usually portrayed in crime TV shows.
Education and Training: The minimum educational requirement for a criminalist is a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biology, physics, molecular biology, forensic science, or any other related sciences. For some positions, a master degree is required.
Career Opportunities: It is a diverse proffesion, and criminalists usually specialize in one or more od many sub-discipines. The criminalist may start as a ‘bench’ scientist after graduating, and decide on their interest later on after employment. Some disciplines are Biology/DNA, Controlled Substances such as drugs, Fire, Trace (analyze materials such as residue and cloth fibre) and Wildlife. The latter is used to regulate animal laws.