To have a career in this field, you need to have a general interest in science and be able to use those skills to investigate crime. You must be emotionally prepared to deal with crime scenes as some of them may be disturbing.
Although you don't learn a lot of content relating to forensic scientists in elementary and middle school, grades seven and eight offer you the opportunity to have a touch-start in required fields. Pay close to attention to classes such as social science and science as it is the start of the foundation you need in order to advance.
This stage in education is most important because you have more freedom. If you are thinking of a career in any of the sciences, you should take advanced level science and math courses in high school. Some secondary schools now offer forensic science as a course, which allows you to explore the field indepth and get an understanding of it.
The minimum educational requirement for forensic scientists is a 4-year bachelor of science degree. However, employers often prefer applicants who have a master's degree because of the advanced knowledge.
Before graduating from a post-secondary program in forensic science, you will have the opportunity to participate in a field placement. A field placement is basically a program which allows you to shadow a professional forensic scientist and observe how a his work is done. Most post-secondary programs make it mandatory as part of the curriculum, but some many not. Ensure you take this field placement course as it prepares you, and many employers value this when looking for potential candidates.