Forensic means the use of science or scientific methods to detect and solve crimes. As science continually advances, forensic science approaches become more and more important to understanding and using evidence such as DNA, blood, or ballistics in court. The use of forensic evidence offers the potential to improve outcomes in our criminal justice system, but only if it is properly interpreted.

The biology, chemistry, and physics used to analyze the evidence left by blood and bullets aren’t the only types of science or scientific approaches relevant to forensics. Osteoarchaeology, a branch of anthropology, is used to analyze skeletal evidence from crimes that occurred a long time ago. Computer science is critical for monitoring and combating steadily-growing cybersecurity risks. And forensic accounting has long been important for financial fraud investigations as well as “following the money” used to commit other types of crimes.

Forensics, broadly defined, can apply to any number of career paths that deal with crime. From forensic accountants who trace financial fraud to IT security analysts focused on detecting cyber attacks, today’s criminal justice system as well as businesses are increasingly dependent on all types of forensic science.

Perhaps the most familiar career in this field is that of a forensic science technician, who is responsible for collecting and analyzing evidence from crime scenes in the laboratory. From weapons to fingerprints to bodily fluids, analysis of forensic evidence by these experts can play an invaluable front-line role in criminal investigations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, forensic science technicians earned a median annual salary of $59,150 in 2019, and typically have at least a bachelor’s degree in a natural science such as chemistry or biology.

Certainly. Coursera offers courses to build your background in forensic evidence across a range of disciplines, including biology, anthropology, and cybersecurity, as well as in the proper application of this evidence in the criminal justice system. You can learn remotely from top-ranked institutions from around the world, including Princeton University, West Virginia University, McMaster University, University of Lausanne, and Nanyang Technological University. And, if protecting against cyber attacks is your focus, you can get a Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate from IBM by completing a Specialization spanning multiple courses.