How to Determine the College Requirements for CSI Professionals

CSI professionals require specialized training in their area of expertise, sometimes limited only to a bachelor's degree, while often including special training programs. If you are about to go to college for the first time, start looking into CSI careers that interest you. Having an idea of what you would like to do will make determining the college requirements much easier.

Instructions

Narrow Your Specialization

1. Decide what type of CSI interests you the most. The college requirements for DNA analysis will be different from those for computer forensics.

2. Look up job descriptions for CSI employees on career Web sites such as Career Builder and Jobster.

3. Contact a career counselor at the college you plan to attend and ask for advice about college requirements for CSI professionals.

Decide Where You Want to Work

1. Contact police, government and medical examiner offices in your locality and inquire about their education requirements. Even though you don't have to choose an agency right now, they do have different requirements.

2. Ask agencies in your geographical area if there are state qualifications for CSI professionals. Some states have different levels of training programs you must complete.

3. Research different agencies online, visiting Web sites belonging to the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice. This might give you an idea of which agencies are appealing.

Choose a School

1. Tour some of the top schools in Criminal Justice, such as New York's Pace University or the University of Oklahoma.

2. Research some of the CSI online programs. Kaplan University's Crime Scene Technician Certificate program comes highly recommended.

3. Check out online certification programs if you've already earned an undergraduate degree. Everest College offers an online Criminal Investigations Certificate and Florida Metropolitan University offers an online Criminal Investigations associate degree.

4. Request course manuals from your list of possible universities and colleges and compare them to the course requirements listed under job descriptions with different agencies.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that different specializations and law enforcement agencies have different college requirements for their CSI professionals.

• Make sure that the college you choose offers all of the courses required for your training. Picking up different courses at other colleges can become confusing.

• Choose a college that is accredited and whose coursework is accepted by law enforcement agencies. You can find that information by simply contacting the university.

• When you submit your resume to law enforcement agencies, include all of the relevant coursework on the resume.