Forensic Scientist
By: Olivia Michels, Hour 3
Quote
-Patricia Cornwell
Basic Information About Forensic Scientists
- Forensic Scientists tend to make between $32,200 and $85,210.
- They study the evidence that is found at a crime scene.
- Most weeks they work for 40 hours.
- Often, they on-call and sometimes have to work nights and weekends.
- Many of them work in laboratories and on crime scenes.
- When they Recieve the evidence, they run many different tests and oftenly test DNA.
- They work with police officers and other people employed by the Police Department.
- It is expected that there will be a demand for these jobs by 2020.
- Forensic Scientists can be employed by either the Police Department or a private company.
- Their main goal is always to somehow connect the suspect to the victim.
Pros and Cons of This Career
- You can earn lots of money in this career which is a good thing because you can afford to buy a house and pay bills.
- You help to find criminals, which can help to keep the world safer.
- If you choose to work in a laboratory to study the evidence, you are less likely to be in danger than someone who works on a crime scene.
Cons
- You work 40 hours a week and that can start to be very tiring because you work about 8 hours a day.
- You can work on a crime scene which can sometimes be dangerous depending on the type of case you are working on.
- No two cases are alike, so it can be very difficult to figure out clues to solve the case.
What do I need to do in High School and College to become a Forensic Scientist?
College - In college you need to get a bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, or Forensic Technology to become a Forensic Scientist. Also, some majors or degrees that you could earn to become a Forensic Scientist are; Biochemistry, Biophysics, Forensic Science, or in Criminalistics and Criminal Science.
Colleges You Can Attend To Recieve a Degree in This Career
Carroll University
Pros
- They have both a swimming and volleyball team for the college which is good because it means they have a large variety of sports that you can play.
- They have a study abroad program, which is good because you are able to study in different parts of the world.
- In-State and Out-of-State tuition is the same which is good because everyone pays almost the same tuition.
Cons
- They are division 3 in all sports, which isn't a good thing because it means that the school doesn't have very many students who play sports.
- You are required to live on campus for your first two years of college, which is a bad thing because you have to pay to live on campus.
- The cost of books is about $1,236, which is expensive compared to some other schools.
Marian University
https://www.marianuniversity.edu
Pros
- The cost of books is about $700, which is good because that is cheap compared to fees at other schools.
- In-State and Out-of-State tuition is the same which is good because it means that everyone pays the same tuition to go to that college.
- Financial aid is provided, which is good because it means that if you aren't able to pay for college, someone can help you to figure out a way to pay for college.
Cons
- Swimming isn't provided as a sport that you can play in college, which means that there isn't a large variety of sports that you can play there.
- The campus isn't located near a large city which is bad because, it means that there isn't as many places to go or things to do near the campus.
- It is a private school which means that the tuition to go there is typically more expensive than a public college.
University of Central Oklahoma
Pros
- They have volleyball and many other sports there that you can play which means there is more of a variety for students who want to do sports can choose from.
- They have financial aid available for students who may not be able to afford to go to college or need help paying for college.
- They have lots of scholarships that you are able to get to help you pay for your college education.
Cons
- They don't have a swim team because they don't have a swimming pool at the college.
- It is division two for sports, which means they don't have as many students as a division one college.
- The Out-of-State tuition is almost triple the In-State tuition, which is a bad thing because if you don't live in Oklahoma, you have to pay a lot more to go to college here than if you already lived in Oklahoma.
Associations/Professional Organizations In This Career
- Bradford J. Wing
- (202) 203-9202
- Las Vegas, Nevada
American Board of Criminalistics
- Chris E. Taylor
- 941-729-9050
- http://www.criminalistics.com
- Palmetto, Florida
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Resources
“Logo of Mrian University.” Daily Pelton. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2016. <http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=18217>.
“Logo of University of Central Oklahoma.” University of Central Oklahoma. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2016. <http://busn.uco.edu/bahouth/>.
“Quotesgram.” Forensic Science Quotes. Quotesgram, 2015. Web. 14 Jan. 2016. <http://quotesgram.com/forensic-science-quotes/>.
“Scenes of crime officers search for clues.” The Telegraph. The Telegraph, 14 Jan. 2016. Web. 14 Jan. 2016. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10201340/Neglecting-forensic-science-threatens-justice-MPs-warn.html>.