You have seen them on your favorite Bones or CSI TV show. They are the crime scene investigators who study bones derived from a crime scene. They are the forensic anthropologists. Have you ever wondered what a forensic anthropologist does and what the educational requirements are to become one?
If you have a knack for the biological sciences, anthropology, archaeology, and history, then the field of forensic anthropology may be the career choice for you. It will be part of your job to help medical examiners or coroners with the gathering and identifying of human remains. You must know how to determine biological profiles such as age, sex, race, height, etc. of skeletal remains. You must determine the cause of trauma to the skeleton. You may have to visit the burial site, help dig it up, and scrutinize soft tissue or skeletal remains with the intent of identifying the dead person and helping to ascertain the approximate time and cause of death.
It takes a great deal of education to prepare to become a forensic anthropologist. You need a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biology, anatomy, physiology, or anthropology, and a graduate-level degree in anthropology or human biology. Then you need a PhD and a minimum of three years of experience in forensic anthropology before applying to the board to become board certified.
You can still work in this field even if you do not have the required education. However, many forensic laboratory employers will favor your application if you have a doctoral level degree. Once you get a job as a forensic anthropologist, you will work at big universities as a consultant to medical examiners and courts.
Experts such as forensic anthropologists use their varied educational background to help solve a crime. Their efforts help bring an offender to justice and bring closure to the families of the victims.
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