Five true crime TV show myths you shouldn't believe

CSI, Bones, NCIS – they’re true to life, right? Wrong. Five reasons why actual forensics and investigation is different.

1. Things don’t move that fast

Results can take an age to process, sometimes even weeks. Definitely not within seconds as they appear to on screen.

2. Fingerprints

Fingerprints are really fragile, and can be difficult to retrieve depending on the kind of surface they’re on. They’re also not as reliable as you might think.

Jo Morrissey is a senior lecturer at ARU and her research currently examines the recovery of fingerprints on ballistics.

3. We are not all detectives

Crime investigating officers tend to be members of police staff, and not police officers. You won’t see them running around arresting the bad guys.

4. We don’t know everything

Forensic science is made of many disciplines, with experts who specialise in their own field. So don’t ask a DNA analyst to analyse a drug sample. It won’t fly.

Get a feel for all of the specialities on our forensics course, so you can find your field of interest. Check out the modules on our course pages to get a feel for the different discipline areas.

5. Paperwork

Forensic science is a heavily regulated field. Alongside the excitement, a lot of time is spent completing paperwork, making sure the results are reliable for use in court so the right person gets convicted.

What is Clearing?

Clearing is an opportunity to reconsider your options, and join a university where you can study something you really want to learn about.

You can apply for uni through Clearing if

• you didn’t apply before the UCAS deadline
• your grades are different to what you expected
• you’ve only just decided to go to uni
• you’ve changed your mind about what or where you want to study since you originally applied.

Explore crime and investigation courses at ARU