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Do you have a burning desire to become a crime scene investigator (CSI), but have no idea what is required to become a CSI? Do you wonder what background a CSI must have to become a crime scene investigator in the first place? Do you want to work as a crime scene investigator and would like to find CSI training? Below are straight forward and simple answers to the questions most asked about crime scene investigation. Click on any question to immediately jump to the answer or simply scroll through at your leisure.

First and foremost, finish high school and get your diploma. The best way to become a CSI is to get a college education. Once you have your degree, you can become a police officer, and then become a CSI. You will find a more detailed explanation in the sections below.

Forensic Science is the best major to choose if you wish to become a CSI. You can get an Associates degree (2-year) or Bachelors degree (4-year). Keep in mind that many police departments will require a Bachelors degree. However, you could also study Criminal Justice or Criminology, but you will still want to have a focus on Forensics. If you have a Bachelors degree, go after a Masters degree, which will greatly improve your value when you are applying for the job. In general, you will also earn a higher salary with a Masters degree.

It can take anywhere from 6 to 10 years from the time you graduate high school. This includes the time at college. Many CSIs will have a Bachelors degree. Some people can become CSI's without a college education, but the education makes a person more competitive to get the job that they want. The vast majority of CSI's are police officers. They must be hired by a police department and complete the police academy training and work for many years in lower positions before being able to apply for a CSI position. Once a person is selected to become a CSI, they will receive advanced training at an academy, and serve as an apprentice. While working as a police officer, you should take all the opportunities you can to assist in crime scene processing. This will improve your chances of becoming a CSI and give you experience that will help in obtaining a position as a CSI.

The most widely recommended book is Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation by Barry A. J. Fisher. This book is widely considered the "bible" of Crime Scene Investigation. Reading this book will give you a great deal of knowledge on crime scene investigation before you enter the field. Another good book is "Crime Scene Evidence: A Guide to the Recovery and Collection of Physical Evidence", written by Mike Byrd. If you have not had any courses on photography, you might need a good photography book like "Black and White Photography: A Basic Manual", by Henry Horenstein & Carol Keller. Another good photography book is "The Crime Scene and Evidence Photographer's Guide" by Steven Staggs. It goes beyond basic photography and into the specifics of crime scene photography. It contains step-by-step instructions for photographing crime scenes and evidence, as well as example photographs for different situations. Fingerprints are an important part of crime scene investigation, so you may also want to read "Introduction to Fingerprint Comparison". These books will give you a great advantage when applying for a position as a CSI. It isn't necessary to read every single book, but the more you read the better. You may find many of these books at your local public library. Having studied the field on your own will definitely make you stand out as a prime candidate when you apply for a CSI job.

There is a great deal of confusion related to crime scene investigators and crime scene technicians. Crime scene technicians do not have to be sworn officers to work the crime scenes, but they are usually specialists in fields like blood spatters, bodily fluids, ballistics, forensic pathology, fingerprints, and so on. Investigators, however, are sworn officers with the power to make an arrest.

We have yet to find a way for a true investsigator to have not served as a sworn officer. The only technicality is becoming an un-sworn Crime Scene Investigator. Un-sworn CSIs will work as an investigator without becoming a police officer first. However, almost all un-sworn CSIs work for the FBI, and although they were not technically police officers, they did serve their time as regular agents. Dont expect to jump right out of high school (or college for that matter) and become a CSI your first day on the job. Because of the extremely sensitive daily job of CSIs, you must have extensive knowledge and understanding of the legal system, laws, and law enforcement before you can investigate crime scenes. Remember, CSIs have a huge responsibility of solving delicate crimes and serving justice to the victims.

A crime scene investigator salary will vary depending on many factors listed here. As a rule of thumb, the more college education you have, the more money you will make. Although this may not always be the case, a person with a Bachelors degree will usually make more than someone with just an Associates degree.

It is also important to know that a CSI working in a large city will make more money than a CSI working a small town. For example, you will make more money as a CSI in New York City than you will in a rural area of Alabama.

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