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A.
Educational Perspectives
In the second edition of 
 
Forensic Science
(Davies, 1986), in a chapter on
forensic education, Ralph Turner* asks, “Is forensic science education devel-
oping in an orderly and well-planned fashion?” In answer to this query, he
* School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University.
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Principles and Practice of Criminalistics
notes that “the profession has advanced rapidly in the past decade, and
education must have played an important role. The advancement, however,
has probably not occurred in an orderly fashion.” He mentions that crimi-
nalistics programs reached their peak in the 1970s and were, even then,
declining. He laments the lack of a new generation of educators to fill the
positions vacated by those who have retired, and in many cases are no longer
with us. In the 15 years since Mr. Turner reviewed the state of forensic
education, it has continued to decline. This has been to the detriment of the
profession.
 
1.
Programs in Forensic Science vs. Criminalistics
Education is one area where we cannot afford to tread lightly for fear of
political incorrectness or offense. The requirements of those who examine
or analyze physical evidence in a crime laboratory differ substantially from
those who concentrate on crime investigation. They also differ from those
who remain in the academic realm, and even from those who choose to work
in the industrial or clinical arena. Now, more than ever, the onslaught of
technology obligates the criminalist to draw on a strong background in the
physical sciences, including an understanding of statistics and logic. The
scientific background cannot be only theoretical, it must include copious
laboratory experience. For laboratory exercises to be most useful, the prob-
lems that students are asked to solve must move past the standard chemistry
and biology laboratory exercises into the more thought-provoking, and often
unanswerable, questions likely to be encountered in forensic casework.
Although a number of programs can be found that list themselves as
forensic science programs, a closer look shows that majority of these pro-
grams, be they at the undergraduate or graduate level, provide only a general
curriculum most appropriate for an overview or introduction to forensic
science in the broadest sense. Rarely are they combined with a rigorous
physical science curriculum, including laboratory work. For this reason,
many laboratory directors prefer to hire someone with a strong science and
laboratory background over an individual with, in particular, a terminal
undergraduate forensic science degree (Siegal, 1988). A 1986 survey showed
that the educational background most preferred for a career in forensic
science would consist of a B.S. degree with a major chemistry component,
and an M.S. in forensic science (Siegal, 1988). A similar survey conducted
more than a decade later indicated similar preferences. A survey taken in
1996 also concluded that those responsible for hiring are more interested in
specific coursework than a named degree, perhaps in direct response to the
lack of uniformity in forensic science program requirements (Furton et al.,
1999).
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303
This situation is truly unfortunate. As we have emphasized throughout
this book, we believe strongly that criminalistics rests on a unique philosophy
and framework of fundamental principles. A strong educational network
would do much to strengthen, promulgate, disseminate, and continue to
challenge the academic underpinnings of our profession.