Apparatus including a broadband illumination source and a confocal optical system. The confocal optical system is configured and arranged to receive a portion of light projected onto an object by the broadband illumination source. The apparatus can include an illumination source, a confocal optical system, and at least one detector configured and arranged to receive angularly separated light corresponding to a confocal volume. There is also provided a light scattering spectroscopic device including a broadband illumination source, a two-dimensional detector, and a spectral separation device configured and arranged to receive scattered light from an object and to direct at least a portion of the scattered light onto the two-dimensional detector. The method and apparatus can combine confocal microscopy techniques with light scattering spectroscopy techniques to create a confocal light scattering spectroscopy (CLSS) system.