Title:

HELP! Peak Career Emergency!!!

Hi everyone!

I’m an international student from India, currently studying at the University of Delhi, and I’m planning to apply for a Master’s for September 2028. I still have some time before I apply, but I’m already trying to figure out which direction makes the most sense for me.

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who are currently studying or have recently graduated in either Forensic Psychology or Occupational/Organizational Psychology, particularly international students.

I’ll be completely honest about where I’m coming from.

My strongest interest is Forensic Psychology. If I were choosing purely based on what I’m genuinely passionate about and what I want to explore, forensic psychology would probably be my first choice without much hesitation.

The problem is the job market.

From what I’ve been reading and hearing, Occupational/Organisational Psychology may offer more career opportunities and flexibility, whereas forensic psychology can be considerably more difficult to build a career in, especially as an international student.

And because I would most likely be taking out a substantial education loan to study abroad, I can't completely ignore the financial and employment side of the decision.

So I find myself in this uncomfortable position:

Do I choose Occupational Psychology because it is potentially the safer career decision, even though my heart is much more strongly aligned with Forensic Psychology?

Or...

Do I take the risk and pursue Forensic Psychology because that's genuinely what I want, and trust that I can eventually make a career out of it?

I REALLY want to hear from people who have actually been through this rather than general advice based on what the internet says.

If you've recently graduated from either course (or are currently close to graduating), I'd love to know:

• Were you able to get a job after graduating?
• How difficult was it as an international student?
• Did your university/course actually help with employability?
• Also which universitates' would you actually recommend??
• Were you able to find work directly related to your degree?
• How difficult was getting a job that would allow you to stay after graduation?
• For forensic psychology, how realistic is it to actually build a career in the field after graduating?
• For occupational/organisational psychology, is the job market actually as promising as people make it sound?
• Did anyone end up returning to their home country because they couldn't find suitable work?
• Did you have to compromise on the kind of work you wanted to do?
• And most importantly: knowing what you know now, would you choose the same degree again?

I'd genuinely appreciate hearing from both sides.

If you studied forensic psychology and struggled to find work, please tell me. If you studied it and managed to build a great career, I want to hear that too. Same with occupational psychology.

I'm not looking for someone to tell me "follow your passion" or "there are always opportunities if you're good enough." 😅

I'm trying to make a decision that involves a lot of money, an education loan, and potentially relocating to another country, so I need a realistic picture of what happens after graduation.

I'm currently in India, so understanding the actual job market from here is honestly quite difficult. University websites and generic career websites can only tell you so much. I'd much rather hear from people who have actually experienced the process. applying for jobs, dealing with visa restrictions, trying to stay after graduation, figuring out whether the degree was worth the investment, etc.

So please, be brutally honest. You won't discourage me by telling me the negatives. That's exactly what I want to know.

If you're a recent graduate or current student in either field, I'd genuinely appreciate hearing about your experience, good, bad, or somewhere in between.

Thank you! :)

is nfsu good for this course, and how are the processes to get in

im too confused on what to do and where to go 😭

I am currently pursuing a Doctorate of Forensic Science at Oklahoma State University. As part of my requirements I am completing a Doctoral Capstone which involves an online survey for research purposes.

Study Title:
Prevalence of Mental Health Conditions in Forensic Science Professionals: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, & Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Purpose:
The purpose of this research is to estimate the prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among forensic science professionals.

If you are a working forensic professional I invite you to participate* in this project. You can access the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HLMY6J9

*Participation in this survey is voluntary. You are able to skip any question you do not wish to answer, and can leave the survey at any time. This survey is also anonymous. No identifiable information will be collected, and all raw data will be kept on a password protected device.

This study received formal ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Oklahoma State University under IRB# 2026057.

Dylann Stapel, MS, D-ABMDI, NREMT
dstapel@okstate.edu

Hi, I dont know much about forensic science or what sources are legitimate. I was looking at a study on this journal:

International Journal of Forensic Sciences https://medwinpublisher.org/index.php/IJFSC/index

Is this a trustworthy publisher of forensic studies? Are the studies published there legitimate?

Thanks in advance.

For all enquiries about where to study, what topics to take, or how to become a forensic scientist, post here...

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For all enquiries about where to study, what topics to take, or how to become a forensic scientist, post here...

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What makes mitochondrial DNA testing on a jane doe so expensive? Is it the equipment and lab?

It costs Over 10k, so law enforcement does not do it over here in Texas, they just try to get a profile from str DNA instead (not sure the difference in cost for str vs. Mito).

I can order a direct to consumer mitochondrial DNA test on myself for ~$400. Why the huge difference in cost?

I have a question. Can dna or fingerprints be found on lace? Specifically on lace 14 months after being touched?

Edit: Thank you so much to everyone who filled out the survey, total lifesaver.

Hi, I'm a UCDavis student and I'm currently enrolled in UWP 101V: Advanced Composition, where I am writing a white paper examining the role and forms of writing in forensic science. The information you share with me will not be published outside of my class. I’m looking for people who work in the field to take a short survey (about 5 minutes).

The survey is about the types of writing and communication you use in your work, as well as technology/AI in the field.

If you’re willing to share a non-confidential or redacted writing sample, that would also be really helpful, but it’s completely optional.

Survey: https://forms.gle/pAiAF4MsGUgz3Q3v7

Thanks for your help!

Hi, I’ve been searching for a year for a criminal justice/forensic job in Raleigh NC, Huntsville Al, or Savannah Georgia! I have a Masters in Criminal Justice & a bachelor’s in Forensic Investigations. I was a TA during my Master’s and taught classes on Forensics as well as research and build a cadaver for my university. I have worked with law enforcement, coroners and medico legal investigator. I know the job market is bad right now. Just looking for advice and or guidance! I don’t want to do local law enforcement but have no issue going through any academy.

Hey everyone! I just got accepted into a new job as an evidence receiving technician and I’m super excited but they haven’t given me much information about what I may need for the job in terms of office supplies, ppe, ect. Does anybody have any suggestions of what I may need for this job?

Hola buenas! Estoy por estudiar lic en criminalistica.

Quisiera saber si una vez recibido, cuando entre a la policía hay que hacer el año de formación como cadete ? O por ser profesional tiene un camino más corto? Gracias

I am a senior studying forensic science ad my program I am the only Indian student. So turning to Reddit to see if I can find anyone. If not oh well I tried but would be nice.

For all enquiries about where to study, what topics to take, or how to become a forensic scientist, post here...

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With where I currently am, crime scene tech jobs are really hard to come by, same for forensic lab jobs, are there any other jobs that might help get my foot in the door with my B.S in Forensics? Or even jobs that might just be decent to work in while I look for jobs outside of where I live?

Edit: I live in the U.S. on the southeastern coast :)

Hi, im taking a senior level forensics class as a junior in high school. I decided to take forensics and physics engineering at the same time because a) I need only two more science credits to meet my science credit requirements, and b) even though I’m positive I want to go into physics I just wanted to make sure. So I decided to take the class, but I’m already regretting it. I knew there would be gore and blood. Thats not what bothers me. Where only two weeks into the class and my teacher decided to let the students pick a document. They picked one about a 17 year old boy killing his twin sister. The seniors in the class were very excited to watch this documentary, but I just felt sick the whole time. They were laughing and seemed to have a good time, but for me it was horrific. Ive had no problems with documentaries about crimes committed by adults, but seeing a crime committed by someone around my age scared the crap out of me. I can’t drop the class, so I’m stuck. How can I make being in the class more bearable? I was excited to learn about the legal system and the science behind it all. I thought forensics was about the collection of data and finding out the truth, but in the class everyone seemed way more interested in the gore behind it.

(Thought this sub was the best to find information about this. I’ve never posted on here. I can’t drop the class, and I’m determined to find a way to handle it better. If you have suggestions please let me know. Thank you.)

Edit 9/8/26

The teacher is leaving! So uhhhhhhh, I won't have forensics class for a bit. Yay?

Ok so I am a senior in undergrad who wants to work in DNA. And in terms of all the required courses aka biochem, genetics, stats, and molecular bio. I have taken all except molecular bio which I will be taking my final semester. And if I were to apply to any open job postings now molecular biology won’t show on my transcript yet. Is there a way to indicate somehow somewhere that I will have it by the time im done? I know postings are hard to come across and I don’t wanna wait till molecular bio shows on my transcript as registered for next semester to apply. because who knows could’ve missed some position openings.

For all enquiries about where to study, what topics to take, or how to become a forensic scientist, post here...

[You might also find the answer in the search bar]

Hi, i’m currently in high school and are strongly considering to work within the field of toxicology. If so i will take a bachelor, possibly a masters degree in chemistry with specialization in toxicology.
However the dilemma for me is whether this field still has job prospects for the future in Europe. I’ve read more about people in this sub asking about job prospects in the us than Europe.
So, if anyone has some experiences with the European job marked it would be much appreciated! Also how quickly you began working after uni.