How to Become a Crime Lab Analyst

Crime lab analysts provide a variety of investigative practices.

Becoming a crime lab analyst opens many doors into the criminal justice system. By excelling in required courses and specific skills tests, a career as a crime lab analyst will find you observing the criminal justice system as it evolves rapidly into the fast-paced, 20th-century science it has become.

Things You'll Need

• Science degree
• Good scores on skills tests

Instructions

How to Become A Crime Lab Analyst

1. 

   To become a crime lab analyst, you must first have a degree from a fully accredited college in a scientific field. A chemistry degree is preferable to a forensic science degree. While there are actual degrees in forensic science, it isn't as frequently recommended these days. Instead, most colleges and universities, as well as law enforcement agencies, suggest taking specific forensic science classes at the graduate level, and concentrating on one of the major science as a bachelor's major.

2. 

   Should you prefer to concentrate on DNA testing, a degree in biology, or biology with a minor in genetics or biochemistry, will lead you in the right direction. Other degrees that may be beneficial, but aren't as common or as in demand, include anthropology, botany, zoology and entomology. While these degrees may help you get your foot in the door as a crime lab analyst, there is very little steady work in these specialties.

3. 

   Since forensic science is used to help law enforcement officials solve crimes, crime lab analysts often work as part of an investigative team. Duties include collecting crime scene evidence, testing and reporting on that evidence, and testifying in a court of law on your findings. Work as a crime lab analyst may become repetitive, so it is advisable to consider whether routine is something you can deal with.

4. Special skills in weapons handling and ammunition forensics is vital to pursuing a job as a crime lab analyst. Many gun clubs offer such classes, as do some police departments. Crime lab analysts learn to determine what kind of bullet was used in a crime, and if the ammunition came from a weapon or weapons found at a crime scene.

5. Crime lab analysts also learn to analyze expert impressions. Impressions of tire tracks, footprints, marks in soil or other tracks are used frequently in crime investigations. Bite marks and fingerprints are also types of impression evidence. These classes are available as graduate degree classes in most full scale colleges and universities offering criminal justice programs.Before pursuing your education, check with police departments to determine the latest expectations they have for hiring crime lab analysts. Unless they have their own set of requirements, the ones listed here cover most bases in pursuing such a career.

Resources

• SChool of Criminology & Criminal Justice, Florida State University