Is criminalistics and forensic science the same thing as criminology and criminal justice?
No. Unfortunately, the media and many members of the public are under the mistaken impression that criminology and criminalistics describe the same field. They are both part of the criminal justice system but the similarity ends there. Criminology is a social science that focuses on the social aspects of crime. People who desire a career as a police officer or in corrections need a background in this field. Criminalistics/forensic science is a natural science that applies the principles of chemistry, biology, physics, geology, etc. to legal matters. People who want to work in crime laboratories or in related forensic sciences need degrees in some kind of science.
No. Unfortunately, the media and many members of the public are under the mistaken impression that “criminology” and “criminalistics” describe the same field. They are both part of the criminal justice system but the similarity ends there. Criminology is a social science that focuses on the social aspects of crime. People who desire a career as a police officer or in corrections need a background in this field. Criminalistics/forensic science is a natural science that applies the principles of chemistry, biology, physics, geology, etc. to legal matters. People who want to work in crime laboratories or in related forensic sciences need degrees in some kind of science.