Crime Scene Technician Certificate
Crime scenes are critical for investigators trying to find suspects; any little tidbit could provide a lead. In recent years, there has been a growing need for a specialized group to help law enforcement gather evidence that can be used to solve a case. One way to get into the field is with a crime scene technician certificate.
Crime Scene Technician Training and Courses
Certificate programs are targeted education options that focus on the skills you need to get your first job with a local, county or state law enforcement program. Unlike four-year programs, all the courses tend to focus specifically on improving your abilities to handle a crime scene. That includes learning about establishing chains of custody for evidence, identifying potential materials for analysis and more.
Career Options for Crime Scene Technician Certificate Program Graduates
Obtaining your crime scene technician certificate can lead to a variety of positions within the investigative community. For example, coursework in evidence detection could lead to a crime scene technician career where the certificate holder will be involved in gathering evidence to help develop criminal cases that could lead to charges such as rape, burglary, homicide or others.
It can also lead to lab work, analyzing blood or other fluid samples for DNA matches, doing chromatographic analyses to find out where certain items originated or other duties.
Part of the job description be to testify about the scientific analysis performed and how it relates to a case. In that respect, certificate holders will learn how to accurately and clearly describe their techniques for lay audiences, as well as how to explain specific results.
Career Outlook for Individuals with a Crime Scene Technician Certificate
The job growth outlook is favorable for forensic science careers, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 19% growth from 2010-2020 for forensic science technicians.1 The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t provide salary data specifically for crime scene technicians but reports that the related occupation of forensic science technicians receive a median annual salary of $52,180 as of May 2011.2
Kaplan University in the list below offers a specific Crime Scene Technician Certificate as well as a B.S. Criminal Justice in Crime Scene Investigation.
Featured Online Criminal Justice Schools & Crime Scene Technician Certificate Programs
Everest University Online
Campuses: Online
Popular Degrees:
- Criminal Investigations (Associate's)
- Criminal Justice (Associate's)
American InterContinental University Online
Campuses: Online
Popular Degrees:
- Associate's (AABA) - Criminal Justice Administration
References:
1. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/forensic-science-technicians.htm#tab-6
2. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes194092.htm
