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Does anyone have an idea how the forensic sciences are holding out in terms of BS degrees and job market? A little over a few years ago, I graduated with a BS in a somewhat related and unrelated field (Sociology). I have a minor emphasis in IT due to personal involvement and previous work experience. Now I'm working my way up in a Forensic Biology BS at one of the national forensic accredited colleges.
My question is, how does situation this fair with the employment industry in a few years? I want to work with a law enforcement agency full time doing analysis work, but I fear about competition from the Bio/Chem fields.
I keep reading, recently about the BA/BS Biology and Chemistry fiasco going on and wonder if this is related to my field or not.
Not well. First of all most, forensics departments hire people with a BS in Chemistry or Biochemistry (molecular biology DNA) and train them for a year on how things need to be done. They really don't prefer forensics degrees at all. After working in the field a while, an MS or Ph. D. in forensics might be helpful if you want to move up to director of a lab or something, but I doubt even then that it is really necessary. Specializing at the undergrad level is not beneficial and actually hurts your career prospects. With a chem degree you could at least get jobs elsewhere and just as easily get a job in forensics but not with a forensics degree.
Note, that I am not advocating getting a chem degree if you see my other threads I believe getting either a bios of chem degree offers absolutely rotten career prospects with insulting pay, lack of benefits, and poor stability. However a narrow forensics undergrad degree is even worse.
Forensics is usually more of a routine technician job running the same GC test for cocaine over and over again or running an assembly line of DNA tests. The main thing is the paperwork has to be spotless and completely in order or the Lawyers will go after that. They don't argue the science as it is really well established they nit pick crap like protocols and forms/dates. From what my contacts in forensics tell me it is a really mind numbing job with all the boring paperwork and routine analysis.
Also most forensics technicians are employed by state and local govts and they are in no position to hire right now. In fact they have led the nation in layoffs and are doing unpaid furloughs as well.
I applied for forensics jobs back in the day. In Illinois they had me take aptitude tests which I got A ratings for both chemistry and molecular biology so they put me on a list. Pres. Bush gave the states a huge grant to hire more techs and deal with the DNA back log but Illinois misappropriated the funds and as a result there was a rapist who went free because they couldn't get the testing done in time for the trial. I never heard back about the job and the list expired. I am not shlepping downtown to take them again.
If you are interested in science go to med school, pharm school, dental school, physical therapy, occupational therapy, optometry, nursing or don't bother. You will joining the chorus of bright Americans who are suffering and have had their lives ruined.
Forensics is a REALLY hard field to break into. Ever since CSI (and the nine million like shows) have come on the air a LOT of people have gotten degrees/gone to school for this because "wow, it looks so cool". Thing is there's not a ton of openings. I have a friend who has a psych degree, went back for TWO associate degrees in forensics and crime scene tech and still couldn't break into the field. She's now doing an MS online while she works retail but her chances are still very slim. (She's been trying to break into the field for at least six years from what I gather)
I do have to agree that if you want to go into this area, a chem or biochem degree is a better bet, particularly if you couple it with some certificate/minor in forensics.
Only the largest police departments have their own crime labs, and they have very few scientists working for them. Most police agencies send their evidence to regional or state crime labs. Again, very few employees at these places. IIRC, all of the analysis sheets I have seen have been done by chemists. As stated above, I think you would be better served by getting a "regular" chemistry degree. The crime lab will teach you the "forensics" part/s that you need to know.
lilyflower7--A four year degree is the minimum for a forensic scientist. Your friend is wasting her time and money. She needs a four year degree (at least) from a regionally accredited brick and mortar school. I generally don't speak in absolutes, however the chances of any accredited crime lab hiring someone based on an on-line degree is zero.
I think forensics would be a difficult field to get into, unless you are very specialized (like forensic entomology), and that would take more than a B.S.
This is scary .. 3-4 years ago when I quit my main career in IT, I had a direction and vision to help people in unanimous ways, like a shadow figure that brings justice to their lives from one person to the next victim.
I had never watched CSI back then, yet, but had always had an interest in laboratory-type research and analysis, and I thought if I could combine the two, it would be with the law. I went to all the local law enforcement agencies within a decent radius of my home city, read the listings for lab technicians to find that they asked for at minimum a BS in Forensic/Chemistry/Biology to apply, and mine didn't pertain, so I decided to try the route of obtaining one.
One particular problem I've always had was Chemistry was never my forte, but Biology still was.
Now it feels as if it is a climb to the peak of Everest and I need either a lot of luck, connections, or I need to be well seasoned with a degree that can be potentially a gamble by not granting me any positions at all.
Is there anything I can do to boost my chances of getting somewhere in this field at all? Being multilingual by speaking multiple languages, or versatile with IT? Or is this just a whole gambling game?
Forensics it is mostly luck, I don't think connections help much.
The only real decent positions I see in the field of Chem is in formulations. The trouble is the only place you can learn formulations is on the job as universities don't teach about combining chemicals that don't react to get a mixture of the desired physical properties. They are interested in studying reactions. There are also no entry level jobs in that field. They all require say 5 years experience in paint, adhesives, paper, ink, pharmaceuticals, or food formulations.
lilyflower7--A four year degree is the minimum for a forensic scientist. Your friend is wasting her time and money. She needs a four year degree (at least) from a regionally accredited brick and mortar school. I generally don't speak in absolutes, however the chances of any accredited crime lab hiring someone based on an on-line degree is zero.
I actually agree with you because none of the places she's gone have any kind of reputation that are going to help her either in forensics or anywhere else. For example, a former supervisor of mine in pharma a few years back had an MS in forensics from a brick and mortar school - she didn't even up working in the field but did eventually end up in a mid level management position in the pharma lab which the friend going online isn't going to be able to do.
Thing is, unless asked for my opinion, I'm not comfortable saying to her "This degree is a total waste of your time and money because no one ever heard of this school." She lives with her parents so why she didn't just figure out a way to go to one of the schools in NYC/Philly I don't know (she lives in New Jersey)
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