Education Requirements for a Crime Scene Investigator

Crime scene investigations can involve many different aspects. To start, there is usually field work at the scene of the crime along with footwork in the surrounding areas. There is also the laboratory work with the gathered evidence as well as investigatory police work. All of this work comes together to help solve a case. To do this kind of work, each one needs various education requirements.

College Degree

Almost every agency and police department that hires crime scene investigators requires that prospective employees have at least a college degree. Most applicants obtain a degree in criminal justice. Some agencies might look for a speciality or masters degree in such subjects as forensic science. Both two- and four-year degrees are acceptable, as are degrees earned online.

Science

College courses in biology, chemistry, genetics and botany will all be helpful toward a career as a crime scene investigator.

Art

The ability to sketch a crime scene and individual items of evidence well will most likely be a job requirement in many crime scene investigation positions. Other investigators may analyze these hand-drawn pictures during the course of the investigation.

Math

Mathematics can be an important area of study for a criminal justice degree. Such mathematics classes usually include calculus and statistics. Statistical information may be very useful for analyzing evidence in a case.

Photography

Courses in photography may be useful, considering that taking pictures of evidence and crime scenes will most likely be a necessary skill. A good knowledge of different types of cameras and how to use them properly will be an asset for crime scene investigation work.

Communications

Different forms of communications skills can be very important for crime scene investigators. Familiarity with public speaking can be helpful in the event the investigator is called upon to testify in court. Furthermore, the ability to write and think clearly are important for creating accurate notes and reports that will be shared with other crime scene investigators or law enforcement officers.

Internships

Many law enforcement agencies require some type of experience from their applicants before they hire a crime scene investigator. An internship could put experience on the resume that might prove invaluable when applying for crime scene investigator positions. Although internships do not generally pay a salary, they can provide hands-on experience in gathering evidence (under supervision) and carrying the collected evidence back to the police laboratory for further analysis.