The Qualifications Needed to become a Criminal Profiler in the us
Have you ever been interested in pursuing a career in law, but you’re not quite sure which field of study you want to major in? Are you a good judge of character and aren’t easily surprised by the actions of others? Then becoming a criminal profiler may be the career for you.
Criminal profiling has recently become a household name with shows like Deadly Women featuring former FBI field profiler, Candace DeLong. Female criminal profilers are uncommon in the United States but they aren’t unheard of. There are currently no mandatory educational requirements for becoming a criminal profiler in the United States. However, a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in criminal justice or forensic psychology is very helpful. You can even boost your career by pursuing a Master’s or JD degree in forensic psychology or any other behavioral sciences. A lot of these courses can be taken in the comfort of your own home by registering for on-line classes.University of PhoenixandKaplan Universityare just a few of the schools on-line that offer degrees in criminal justice and/or psychology.
In order to become an efficient criminal profiler, one must also meet many personal qualifications as well. Understanding human behavior, having good intuition and being able to read and judge people effectively are just a few of the personal key elements one must possess. Previous experience working with law enforcement agencies is a plus too. Profilers must also have previous experience in dealing with criminal investigations, including being able to gather information from a crime scene in order to better understand the criminal(s) who committed the crime.
Police departments usually don’t have criminal profilers. However, the FBI does, and police departments all over use FBI criminal profilers to help solve difficult cases. Becoming a criminal profiler for the FBI takes a lot of hard work and dedication though. That is why it’s important to have previous experience as an investigator and to have a degree in one or more of the behavioral sciences including, psychology. Psychology and the like are focused on understanding human behavior and being able to understand human behavior is a key element in criminal profiling.
The qualifications needed to become a criminal profiler in the United States are more personal training and knowledge than educational training. However, the educational training is what helps secure a more promising career as a criminal profiler and will offer you more advantages in the field.
