GRADUATE-EDUCATION IN CONVENTIONAL CRIMINALISTICS - A PROPOSAL AND REACTIONS

'Conventional' criminalistics is defined in this study as: firearms an d toolmark examination, microscopic examination of glass, soil, hair a nd fibers, fingerprint analysis and questioned documents examination. Since pre-employment access to graduate education programs and trainin g opportunities in these conventional areas has traditionally been qui te limited, a new graduate education model for conventional criminalis tics was developed and presented to the membership of ASCLD for reacti on. Based on a 51.8% response rate (N = 177) to a survey instrument, i t was found that laboratory directors generally supported the model an d believed that it could be appropriately linked to the 100 or so new hires projected annually by the directors for the conventional areas o ver the next five years.