Colorado Technical University

Please: PhD vs Masters degrees for a career in DNA forensics?

I know what the differences are between PhD and Masters degree, but, more specifically: What are the differences in the responsibilities (and capabilities) between a PhD in DNA forensics and a Master's degree in DNA forensics?? Thank you very much, Tina

Public Comments

1. Here's some links that I found of help. http://gradschool.about.com/od/admissionsadvice/a/masterphd.htm http://www.graduateschooladmission.com/phd.php
2. If you are not already working in a crime lab when you go for your advanced degree, getting a doctorate will put you out of the running for an entry-level crime lab job. The reason is that when the selection panel sees your resume they'll think, "This person's got a doctorate, and she wants to do routine casework? She'll be bored in six months." If you get a master's degree and then look for a job in a crime lab you won't run into that problem. About a third of my lab has master's degrees. Now if you want to work for the FBI or a similar government agency that's more research-oriented, getting your doctorate is the right move. Their cases are less "routine" and you'll have lots of time to do research on each one. So the answer is, it depends on your career plans.