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Forensic Science Technicians

It is unfortunate that we live in a world that needs forensic trained scientists. Forensics, by definition, is a profession that deals with law. Whatever your profession is, whether it is psychology, medical or any other science, if it includes forensics, the work is admissible in courts as well as used to find possible suspects in cases. Basically, what your specialization is, along with forensics, is serving the public sector by aiding law enforcement.

What Do Forensic Science Technicians Do?

Forensic science technicians, also known as criminalists, are individuals that cover a wide range of tasks to help determine what happened in many crimes. Forensic science technicians examine, test and analyze tissue samples, physical materials, ballistics evidence or chemical substances. They may also interpret lab findings or test results, collect criminal evidence used to solve cases, work with experts in fingerprinting, handwriting, electronics, medical, chemical and many others to help interpret evidence. Forensic science technicians may reconstruct crime scenes, prepare reports and presentations or testify as an expert witness.

As you can see, this career is a busy and varied line of work. No two days will ever be the same and this is a big draw for many criminalists. Obtaining all the required knowledge does not come easy, you will need at a minimum a bachelor’s degree in the field. In school you should obtain at least eight semester units of criminalistics, physics, biology or chemistry. You should expect three more credits of quantitative analysis. You may be required to obtain a master’s degree in some labs, but this varies and you should do your research up front. With an associates of arts degree you can get an entry level position to start working sooner. Doing this gives you experience in the field as you continue your education. This may be a perfect route to go, and we will discuss how to balance work and school shortly. You should expect an income in the 40-50k range for an annual salary. With experience this will rise, and where you work will affect this in a small or significant way

Going to College Online

Now that you have decided what career path to take, your next step is balancing an education and personal life. Going back to college to become a forensic science technician can be a scary prospect, but with a little research and preparation, this will be a simple and rewarding step. Most schools offer some form of online education, many offer full online degree programs. Look at the different schools you are interested in, speak with students and faculty and find out if they have the courses you wish to study for your career.

Online degree programs work the same as classroom study (and the degrees are viewed the same with employers) but there are a few things to keep in mind. Your instructor will assign reading material out of your textbook as well as lecture notes in a text, audio or video format to view and study on your own time. The only time constraints with online courses are the due dates assigned from the start of your class. You will know on day one when your assignments and tests are due, as long as you meet those dates, the rest of your education is on your own time. As you can see, online courses allow you to schedule your education around your busy life schedule and that is an invaluable prospect for most.

Now that’ you’ve learned about how you can join the ranks of other forensic science technicians, you are ready to take the first step. Head back to school today and get your online degree!