Forensic science

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Analytical chemist
• Biomedical scientist
• Crime scene investigator
• Detective
• Forensic scientist
• Scientific laboratory technician
• Toxicologist

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Barrister
• Border force officer
• Fire risk assessor
• Food technologist
• Forensic computer analyst
• Further education teacher
• Health and safety inspector
• Higher education lecturer
• Police officer
• Science writer
• Secondary school teacher

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

You will get laboratory experience as part of your degree but it's very useful if you can add to this via work experience as forensic science is a competitive industry. It's difficult to find this within a forensic setting due to the sensitive nature of the work, but you could look in related areas such as biological research, hospital settings and research centres.

It may also be possible for you to find internships that contain some laboratory work with smaller employers. These positions may be voluntary but could lead to paid employment or at least be a useful way to network with professionals in a particular field.

You could also make speculative applications for work experience or shadowing to relevant organisations, such as police forces. It can also be useful to sit in the public gallery at court cases to see forensic evidence being used in practice.

Student membership with the Chartered Society of Forensic Scientists (CSFS) is available and can help you to stay up to date with developments in the sector as well as make useful contacts. It is also a useful membership to have for when you want to apply for chartered status as a forensics practitioner (ChFP), after five years experience working in this role.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

The government outsources most of its forensic work, so job opportunities mainly arise in private forensic investigation companies.

Other major employers of forensic science graduates include:

• police support departments
• the Ministry of Defence (MoD), particularly the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
• the NHS
• educational or private research laboratories.

Opportunities can often be found by exploring the strong links between academic departments and employers, so check with your university for potential contacts.

Many other employers will value your analytical skills, including those in the legal profession, health and safety sector for example fire investigation organisations, teaching across multiple levels of education and the food and drink industry.

Find information on employers in science and pharmaceuticals, law enforcement and security and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

Studying forensic science develops skills specific to laboratory work, including:

• a methodical approach
• analytical and interpretative skills
• attention to detail
• patience and concentration, as laboratory work can be routine and detailed
• practical laboratory techniques that require you to collect and examine evidence precisely.

You will also acquire more general skills including:

• IT skills and data management
• presentation skills, as you need to be an effective verbal and written communicator, for example when compiling court reports
• problem-solving skills
• project management acumen including time management
• teamwork and working independently.

Further study

Although postgraduate study is less common among forensic science graduates, it can be useful depending on the career direction you want to take. Qualifications can relate to your degree, such as a Masters in forensic science, toxicology, molecular biology or fire investigation.

You could also go on to Doctorate research including drug, perfume or DNA analysis, or terrorism.

Postgraduate study could also take you into another career such as law, teaching, health and safety or a different scientific area.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in forensic science.

What do forensic science graduates do?

8% of forensic science graduates are working as laboratory technicians. Police officers (9%), biological scientists (4%) and business and related research professionals (3%) are also among the top five jobs reported.

Find out what other graduates are doing 15 months after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.