- While there are no specific curricula that lead to work as a criminal profiler, many who work in the field have a degree in psychology or psychiatry. Depending on the type of crime, experts with a background in psychology or psychiatry may be able to identify whether the criminal may be clinically ill, suffer from a mental disease, have power issues, be on a revenge mission or have issues with a particular cause. Specializations in the field of Forensic and Criminal Psychology can help secure a profiling job, as experts in this area are relatively new and highly sought-after. Forensic and Criminal psychologists study issues regarding developmental psychology, sociology, criminal investigation and clinical forensic work.
- Members of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit work exclusively on criminal profiling. The number of agents and their specializations vary, but accepted backgrounds include agents and police officers with degrees in psychology, sociology and criminology. Researchers and analysts are also part of the team, as are experts in other related sciences, such as conflict resolution or mediation. Experience is a must for those hoping to join the unit, so an applicant must have a background working in site investigation or laboratory analysis for a minimum of two years before applying.
- Aside from a degree in a related field, criminal profiling jobs also require experience working in law enforcement. Because this encompasses many different areas, it allows those with backgrounds in criminal justice to look for employment almost anywhere, from local police stations to the FBI or other government positions. Popular background areas include juvenile crime, psycho-social behavior, group dynamics and crisis intervention. People who have worked in gang-related task forces or those with a background in homicide investigation are also particularly valuable.
- Before a suspect can be profiled, the crime scene and the specifics of the crime must be closely analyzed to identify patterns, attitudes and possible clues left behind as physical evidence. This involves the work of several different experts, from evidence photographers to ballistic experts to forensic science technicians, who collect and classify evidence to be used by the profiler.
- For those with a background in law enforcement, there are many certification-level options. Both online and campus universities offer short courses that last from a few weeks to six months and cover all aspects of forensic sciences, including crime scene investigations and profiling. Courses in criminal profiling introduce decision process methods and psychology basics to those without a background in psychology. They also teach about criminal methods, serial offenders, victimology, the psychological background of a serial offender and how to use forensics to create a criminal profile.
