New degree offered for forensic experts

EDINBURGH, Scotland, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Scottish, U.S. and Australian universities have teamed in an online global collaboration to address the shortage of forensic medicine experts.

A new degree has been designed to equip doctors and scientists with the expertise needed to investigate deaths resulting from acts of genocide, terrorism and natural disasters. The postgraduate qualification -- open to only doctors and dentists -- will help counter a world shortage of forensic medicine experts by equipping graduates with the range of interdisciplinary skills needed to counter changing world threats, according to David Harrison, professor of pathology at the University of Edinburgh.

The University of Edinburgh has linked with the University of Florida, at Gainesville, and the University of Canberra to share expertise and deliver courses via the Internet. Topics for the master's degree in legal medicine include: forensic science, human identification, chemical and trace evidence and the legal aspects of forensic practice. The degree will also train its graduates to investigate and report on cases of physical and sexual abuse of children and on sudden unexpected death in infancy cases.