By Stanley Rubenti
Career Colleges Columnist
Crime scene investigation is a fantastic field for students who enjoy solving problems and thinking ‘outside the box.’ Trying to piece together what did (or didn't) happen from scant pieces of evidence is extremely detail-oriented work requiring strong organizational skills, a sharp eye, and a genuine love of solving riddles. Think you foot the bill? Keep reading to learn how to break into this exciting field, starting with a good old-fashioned degree in criminal justice.
What Is Crime scene Investigation?
Crime scene investigators gather evidence from a crime scene and piece together plausible explanations as to the who, what, when, where, and why of the situation. Quite often, the crime scene won't even be a physical location (as in the case of cyber crime), so piecing together evidence and data can be quite difficult. If you want to get a better understanding of what crime scene investigation entails, try watching a few episodes of CSI.
CSI Education: How to Get You Big Break
Before you run out and join the cast of CSI, it's important to understand what steps you need to take in order to become a crime scene investigation specialist. Quite often you must undergo rigorous training in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from chemistry to law. Not surprisingly, many crime scene investigation technicians have degrees not only in "crime scene investigation" or criminal justice, but also in tangential specialties.
High Demand
For better or for worse, crime scene investigation is demanding industry. So if you're looking for job security, you’re in luck. The Criminal Justice and Homeland Security Departments have fairly generous budgets, so earning potential is nothing to scoff at. Crime spills over into just about every sector of life imaginable, so it's fairly easy to incorporate an existing passion (computers, business, law, botany, etc.) into an exciting career.
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