About Us
What is The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences?
As the pre-eminent international professional body for forensic practice both in the UK and abroad, we are the voice for Forensic Practitioners, individuals and organisations related to professionalism in Forensic Science. We hold Chartered status in the UK, but provide representation, guidance and support worldwide.
How is the Society governed?
The Society is governed by a Council of elected Trustees who are subject to the responsibilities outlined by the Charity Commission and supported the office staff.
Who does the Society represent?
The Society represents both its members and the wider forensic community, actively supporting and representing forensic practitioners, as well as professionals from fields such as academia, law, medicine, management, and law enforcement, from student level upwards.
What does the Society do for its members?
First, we ‘give a voice’ to the profession, engaging with organisations and Government departments on all aspects of the profession, including areas such as good practice, training & education and professional standards.
Second, we support communication at every level, bringing individuals and organisations together to network, engage in dialogue, and develop common standards and good practice for the profession as a whole.
Third, we support a full range of opportunities for professional development, through our publications and events, our Continuing Professional Development scheme, access to academic and vocational training, and through professional status including membership levels and formal Chartered recognition.
How can I apply to be on Council?
All vacant positions on Council are notified to the members each year in the AGM notice. Any professional level member (Asociate, Member, Fellow, Chartered Forensic Practitioner) may put themsleves forward for nomination to Council. Full details of the nomination process is included in the AGM notice.
How do I contact the Society?
If you have specific question, which is not covered under one of the listed categories, please contact info@csofs.org
Membership
Who can join the Society?
Anyone with an interest in Forensic Sciences over the age of 18 can apply to become a member.
What categories of membership are there?
We currently offer a number of individual membership level: Affiliate; Student (undergrad); Associate; Member; Chartered; Fellow. Please see the Membership pages for more information.
How can I join the Society?
To apply, please complete and submit the appropriate application form, accessible via the Join button on front page
How much does it cost to join the Society?
The membership fee varies according to the membership category: please refer to the Membership page for more details.
Can I cancel my membership subscription?
If you wish to cancel your membership you must notify us by email to membership@csofs.org stating the reason for the cancellation.
Refunds for annual membership subscriptions will only be considered if requested within one month of payment. The Society reserves the right to charge an administration fee of £1.50 for any refunds issued. After the one month period you will not be eligible for any refunds, your membership will remain current and you will have access to your member benefits for the full subscription year.
Why should I pay for membership when my employer won’t reimburse me?
We believe that regardless of whatever support is offered by different employers, ‘Professionals’ in the truest sense of the word have an obligation to take personal responsibility for their own career and its development.
If this is your chosen career path, generally for life, then you will probably see the benefit in investing personally in maintaining and enhancing your skills throughout your career, even where from time to time your employer may not. Also, most employers recognise and value Professionals who invest in their own development, either by offering employment or advancement, or just to recognise and sometimes even make an exception to support and share that personal investment.
I have forgotten my username and password – what should I do?
Please contact membership@csofs.org
I’m struggling to log into the members only area of the CSFS website. How do I proceed?
Check that your username is correct (this is usually your email address as you gave it to us – case sensitive), and your password correct. If you still can’t get into the members area please contact membership@csofs.org.
What are the benefits of membership in terms of event attendance?
Society members receive reduced rates for in person events; the conferences themselves are always structured to maximise attendee opportunities for networking, access to new knowledge through presentations, workshops (CPD) panels, and to the latest good practice including new developments in science and the industry.
All CSFS members also have access to our free online webinar schedule.
I’m a recent graduate – what level of membership is best for me?
Recent graduates who are about to embark on a career in forensic science, or going on further post-graduate study may be eligible for Associate. Contact membership@csofs.org for further details.
Can I join the Society at any time?
Yes. Please just complete and submit the appropriate application form, accessible via Join button Home page.
Educational Quality Standards
What is the Educational Quality Standards scheme?
The Educational Quality Standards (EQS) scheme is the Professional Body award following a successful review of forensic science courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels by an independent panel of experts who assess against the CSFS component standards. EQS courses provide assurance and confidence to students, parents, universities and employers of a quality achievement covering teaching content, resources, facilities and industry link as well as the overall transferable skills.
What universities offer forensic courses with CSFS EQS?
This link takes you to those university courses currently part of the CSFS Educational Quality scheme.
What are the benefits of the Educational Quality Standards scheme?
There are many benefits of Educational Quality Standards but the primary benefit is the Professional body independent assessment of the programme to ensure it meets the Component Standards as set by the Professional Body
What costs are associated with the Educational Quality Standards scheme?
The costs are quoted on application. For further details please email accreditation@csofs.org.
What’s the difference between Educational Accreditation and Recognition?
Educational Accreditation is awarded for full undergraduate (BSc) and postgraduate (MSc) awards, i.e. covering the academic levels 4-6 and level 7 respectively. Undergraduate and postgraduate awards which contain less forensic science within the full degrees (such as diplomas or certificates) can apply for Recognition. There are fuller guidelines for Educational Accreditation and Recognition.
What is the difference between Educational Accreditation & Conditional Educational Accreditation (CEA)
An Institution can apply for Conditional Educational Accreditation (CEA) ideally after programme validation or during the first year of the programme. Institutions can only apply for full Educational Accreditation once a cohort of students has completed the programme in its entirety.
Continued Professional Development
How can the society help with my Continuing Professional Development?
Continuing Professional Development is a key part of our strategy and the services we offer to our members and partners.
The Society has a list of recognised CPD courses, and we also support CPD in many ways alongside our publications and training, for example by running online and in person events.
Events
What events does the Society offer?
The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences offers a number of events throughout the year.
There is a yearly schedule of online webinars on a variety of topics which are accessible for free by all CSFS members. Occasionally a webinar may be available to non members. Recordings of these webinars are also available to members via the member platform Resource Library.
In addition CSFS runs an in person conference, most specifically in Autumn, at locations around the UK and when applicable workshops.
I would like to present at an event, what do I need to do?
In the first instance, please contact nicola.schumacher@csofs.org.
Publications
How do I submit an article or paper for publication?
All submissions for Science & Justice must be made through the Science Direct website. Full guidance is available at the Guide for authors.
Any general questions about publications, not relating to article submissions, can be emailed directly to nicola.schumacher@csofs.org
Awards
Does the Society offer any awards?
The Society has a range of awards as well as an annual Research Grant for which application can be made online.
Careers & Jobs
How do I get into the forensic science industry?
A good first step is to invest some time in researching these issues, for example through the web and other open sources of information. Also, talk to your careers officer or department about what a career in forensic science entails, and how you might progress that.
The Society has put together some resource information of prospective forensic science jobs below to assist you with further research.
Resource pack-Forensic Science Resource pack-CSI Resource pack-Fingerprint Examiner Resource pack-Laboratory
I am in my later years at school, what skills and subjects are useful for pursuing a career in forensic science?
Most employers and higher education establishments value Science-based qualifications, for example in Chemistry or Biology, together with other sciences and Mathematics.
Is training all ‘on the job’ or can I gain experience elsewhere?
The best training and development which is generally most favoured by employers, is that which offers a combination of appropriate academic/classroom training together with practical experience.
The CSFS Accredited courses offer current examples of this approach.
Which degree is preferable for a career in forensic science?
‘Forensic Science’ as a profession covers many roles and specialisms so there is no single right answer to this question. Different specialisms and roles call for different academic subjects and levels of qualification.
Invest some time in researching the different roles you might consider, or be interested in pursuing, and the common routes to achieve those, for example through the web and other open sources of information. Also, talk to your careers officer or department about what different careers in forensic science entails, and how you might progress that.
Where are forensic science jobs advertised?
As might be expected for such a wide-ranging profession, there is no one single place. Most jobs are advertised principally through the different Professional bodies, through industry publications and websites and through key employer’s publications and websites. A generic internet search for keywords like ‘Forensic Science Job’ will offer many such leads.
The Society offers advertising for some job opportunities on its website at Jobs.
What career paths are available to me once I graduate from university?
There are a variety of opportunities with forensic science, each with their own career path and rank/role separation/hierarchy. Examples include crime scene investigation, lab based scientist, collision investigator, digital forensic investigator to name a few.
CSFS members can check out previous EFN careers webinars on the Resource Library for further insight into varying roles.
Remember however that there are also many other career disciplines that involve forensic science, each with their own unique career path, just a few examples being example Policing; Law; Medicine; Education and Management.