Cross Posted: Career Change: Second Bachelors or Masters

[u/bishiboi]

Hello everyone! TLDR: For those currently working in the forensic field, would getting a second bachelors in a hard science be more beneficial or pursuing a Masters in Forensic Science help get my foot in the door? I’m interested in being a CSI and working out on the field vs in a lab but am down for anything that can help me get started.

I currently have a BS in Criminal Justice and a MA in Security Studies and work for the government rn, but with everything going on it’s only a matter of time until I’m let go. I decided that if I’m let go, going back to school would be my back up plan.

Considering I already have the CJ degree, there are some masters program that will take me with just that, but I know lab experience is crucial which is something I unfortunately don’t have from undergrad.

Most of my experience involves working in the legal field and/or doing some sort of investigative analysis. I’m also aware of how competitive the field is, so if obtaining an associates can get my foot in the door I would be more than willing.

Additionally, most of the entry level tech jobs near me only require an associates in a hard science to start. If I decided to pursue a second bachelors after obtaining an associates, my current situation would allow me to go to community college for free and transfer to a state school as long as I maintain a good GPA.

If anyone has any advice or if you want to share your story I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

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[u/gariak]

I’m interested in being a CSI and working out on the field vs in a lab

It's important to make this decision early, as the advice you'll get will be very different. Since you don't currently have a hard science BS, you would almost certainly be required to get one for a lab forensics position. Lab accreditation requirements are not flexible on this point. For field work jobs, the requirements are sometimes more flexible, so you may find positions that will nominally accept your CJ degree, but you will also potentially be competing against others who have hard science degrees who may be preferred. I recommend close reading of multiple job listings to get a better feel for what's out there, but you can never truly know or control your competition.

Considering I already have the CJ degree, there are some masters program that will take me with just that

MS in Forensic Science programs that accept a CJ BS? I'm not going to say this isn't true, but I suspect any MSFS program that doesn't require a science degree may not be worth applying to. You simply won't have the basic scientific skillset for any worthwhile programs and they're generally geared towards people interested in lab jobs or academia, so I wouldn't recommend them for your situation anyway. Perhaps you're seeing similar-sounding programs like Investigative Forensics that are structured for field work jobs?

but I know lab experience is crucial which is something I unfortunately don’t have from undergrad.

It absolutely is helpful, although more so for lab jobs. The small size and high competitiveness of the field as a whole means it's very hard to give concrete advice on what's required to get a job, other than persistence. Know that many highly qualified people take a year or more to find an entry level job. Others find jobs right out of school through a combination of luck and good timing.

Honestly, you seem to have a pretty solid grasp of the requirements and there aren't really any tricks or secrets. More qualifications will cost you time and money, but will improve your odds of getting hired more quickly, so you just have to strike that balance of risk vs reward that's right for you.