What kind of education is needed for a CSI type position?

[Wyandotte Hen]

My son (high school) is somewhat interested in pursuing this.

[Ayla]

Criminology, Criminal Justice, Forensic Science, and alot of Biology. Psychology, Computer Science, and a foriegn language are big helps too.

[RoaringMice]

Depending on the job he's going for, the requirements vary. Some jobs, such as Crime Scene Technicians, require you to join the police force and obtain at least an associates degree. Others, such as working as a Criminalist in a lab (like the CSI people do on tv - and what I suspect he actually wants) require you to have a reputable BS in a science with lab work, plus an MS. The vast majority of jobs in this field require a BS in a lab science, plus the MS. So as an undergraduate, he'd need to major in biology, chemistry, or similar. As the other poster said, some schools actually offer forensic sciences, and that would work as well. However, the deal with that is... hmm... I need to put this rather bluntly.

Being a CSI is intense. You see a lot of stuff that most people don't see. Most CSIs burn out after a certain number of years in that job. It's a very rare person who does not end up leaving that role. When they leave, if they have a BS in bio or chem, and an MS, they're extremely employable in other lab roles, for corporations and the like. But if they have a BS in forensic sciences, that's not the case.

So I'd rather he major in bio or chem, maybe minor in forensic sciences, get his MS, do internships and etc. in the field along the way, and then do the CSI thing for a while. After he burns out, he'll be employable elsewhere.

[Samham]

Criminal Justice, Biology

[cerebralmike]

Forensic science.

My high school had a forensic class, but most usually don't.

In college, make sure he goes to a school that offers forensic sciences or CLINICAL sciences.

He needs to earn a B.A. in either: Biology, chemistry, or Forensics if available.

He needs, also, to find a school that has a crime dept. or like a justice studies pogram which will help in the crime area of the work.

Graduate work is not always needed: Becoming a M.D. is diffucult if you only want to go for the pathology.

I'd say go for the PhD- a lot of research and clues and lab work goes into a science PhD, which wil more likely help him in the long run.