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Asked by anon-346646 on 9 Jan 2023.
Question: How difficult would it be to become a university lecturer in forensic science?
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Caitlyn Norman answered on 9 Jan 2023:
In order to be a university lecturer, you would need to get your PhD, which in itself can be very difficult and it not something to take lightly. However, it can be very rewarding and exciting if you are really passionate about your topic. It can be even more difficult to become a university lecturer in forensic science as there are not many courses remaining in the UK on forensic science.
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Shelina Jilani answered on 9 Jan 2023:
Thank you for the question, Iona. Always remember- nothing is difficult for a person who is willing to work hard and accepts rejections and failures as important stepping stones to success. To become a lecturer, you will need to have a degree level education (at the minimum- some universities actually employ industry experts who have many years of practical experience). After getting your degree, try and partake in workshops or offer to guest lecture, this will build your experience and teaching portfolio. After this, you can look to identifying where you’d like to teach and get in touch with the administration, to better understand how you can get involved with teaching. Good luck 🙂
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Lorna Nisbet answered on 9 Jan 2023:
Becoming a lecturer is always competitive, however the amount of competition depends on your field of expertise. As Caitlyn has stated you should get your PhD, and if you have the ability to do teaching during this it would definitely help your CV. i was lucky enough to work in the USA lecturing during mine which definitely helped. You should also have a good understanding of the university landscape, and it doesnt help to research the thousands of abbreviations which are used in universities before any interviews.
The key thing is to make sure you are able to communicate, be able to present ideas and topics in different ways as not all students learn the same way, and be passionate! -
Lorna Dawson answered on 10 Jan 2023:
Take it in bite sized steps. First pick a subject you love. Study hard (while also having fun at uni:)) and read around that subject. Do a further degree to specialise such as a Masters of PhD or work in the forensic world to get hands on experience. Either way keep your experience working with the university sector. When a job comes up then apply for it and if it’s for you then enjoy developing skills in others…but it’s always good to have real hands on experience in case work as the students you teach can see context. In Forensic science, of course, context is vitally important.
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Sue Black answered on 10 Jan 2023:
The honest truth is that there are few openings and so if it is your passion, then you need to ensure that you are the best qualified when applying for the post. That doesn’t mean though that you have the best grades, it also means that you have all the necessary other qualities – curiosity, an analytical brain, compassion, objectivity and experience. My advice is always to become a good scientist first and then worry later about whether you can translate your experience into something that has value for the courts.
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Amy Rattenbury answered on 10 Jan 2023:
There are a lot of different routes in to lecturing but I think one of the big challenges is that the roles don’t come up that frequently. That means that when a position is available it’s quite competitive.
I took a different route to most into the role I think because I completed a teaching qualification alongside my Masters degree and went straight in to teaching from there. Most people either work in industry for a while or go on to do a doctorate first (normally a PhD).
I started out lecturing at college level to get some experience in the classroom but I didn’t teach forensics in my first 2 lecturing roles (I taught human anatomy on a BTEC in Sport and Biology on an access course first). When I did get offered a forensics lecturing job (still at college level) it was only one day a week and around 2 .5 hours from where I lived and currently worked. However, I took the job as I knew it would be both good experience and was a move in the right direction.
Through that role I found out about a full time position elsewhere on a degree programme but this did mean moving from Yorkshire to Essex but it was the right decision for me career wise. I worked in Essex for a couple of years before moving to University in North Wales and have continued to progress my career there.
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Prof. W Meier-Augenstein answered on 10 Jan 2023:
There are two sides to your questions. Is is difficult to gain the necessary qualifications, or, is it difficult to become a lecture, i.e. to get a job? It can be difficult to get a job in times when there are no vacancies. It can be even more difficult if any of the universities currently offering forensic science degree programmes decides to close this degree programme.
With regards to the question as to whether it is difficult to gain the necessary qualifications, you are the best person to answer this. Ask yourself if you are drawn to and enjoy subjects such as Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and / or Physics. As Caitlyn and Lorna have mentioned already, love and passion for a subject are important. Love and passion for a topic will motivate you in your studies for a university degree which is the first stepping stone to become a university lecturer. -
David Bryson answered on 10 Jan 2023:
It takes time to become a lecturer these days I would say first a degree in Forensic Science then gaining practical working experience or further study for a doctorate which is required more often in Universities. We currently have positions vacant at the University of Derby so you could look at the job requirements. Jobs are often advertised via jobs.ac.uk .
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Richard Harries answered on 10 Jan 2023:
You do not need a PhD, although it certainly helps as it demonstrates you have achieved some level of expertise within a field. Many years of experience within a field is also a good way to increase a persons chances of becoming a lecturer. Acquiring the necessary knowledge will require passion and persistence.
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Katy Bruce answered on 10 Jan 2023:
Hi Iona! I can’t really add much to all the great answers here from my fellow scientists, but what I would say is it’s not all about your degree, your postgrad qualifications, and your work experience – although that’s obviously hugely important – it’s also important to show that you’re genuinely interested in the topic and want to share that passion with students.
Scientists are notoriously good at lab work and analysis, but not always great at teaching 😬 so qualities such as mentoring, presentation skills, teamwork, communication, etc. (sometimes called “soft skills”) will help set you apart from other candidates for the job.
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Kate Barnes answered on 11 Jan 2023:
Hi Iona, I think you already have a lot of great answers here. What I would echo is getting some good work experience. Not only does it make your CV stand out, but it allows you to see whether you really enjoy the job.
I was lucky that I was able to work as a graduate teaching assistant whilst I studied for my PhD. This gave me lots of experience from teaching small groups of 5-10 students up to a room full of 200 students. I got to teach in classrooms, lecture theatres, laboratories and in the field. This really helped when I applied for a post-doctoral position that was 50% teaching and 50% research as I already had lots of experience and again when I applied for a university lecturer position a couple of years later.
You don’t have to wait until you are at PhD level to get some teaching experience though, any work experience that allows you to communicate with people will help. This can start as soon as you are old enough to get a job. Plus you can be a student ambassador during your undergraduate degree which enables you to engage with the public. Don’t be afraid to apply for positions that are outside the area you want to study/teach in as they will still give you those same communication skills.
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