Forensic science is such an important aspect to criminology, but it’s also not one of the programs that brings in many students. That’s where art needs to come into play. Forensic science will require those with a certain set of interests, yes, but you don’t need to make it cold or strictly professional, either. Forensic science programs can and should use art to attract students.
Yes, working crime scenes is serious business, but colleges and universities aren’t the professional workplace. There’s room to warm up your marketing messages and campaigns to draw in those with an interest for the science but have been put off from how serious or technical the educational side of it has been in the past.
Those who love skulls, skeletons, and the intricacies of the human body are perfect candidates for forensic science. After all, you don’t need to investigate crime scenes with such a degree. You can work in anthropology instead, and work on bridging the link between ancient history and now.
Using art is essential to warm up the industry and draw in more into this field, and you can do just that by following the top tips listed below.
Use a Creative Marketing Agency that Gets It
Marketing agencies take the guesswork out of marketing, but not every agency is going to be a good fit. That’s why you need one that specializes in the education sector, such as the Eleven agency, and knows how to combine key marketing principles with creative expression to get those who love skulls and human anatomy from an aesthetic principle to the hard science of forensic investigation.
Using artistic depictions of skulls, the innate curiosity, and the interest that comes with detective work can do every forensic science program well. Combine that with the strategies from an agency that knows where, how, and when to target students, and you’ve got a winning combination.
Use Art to Humanize the Topic
Far too often forensic science programs stick to cool colors, professional aesthetics, and so on. The marketing, color scheme and even words are cold, professional, and are meant to convey how serious the topic is. This makes it immediately a trades-only profession, when it doesn’t have to be.
Bring in the kids that are innately fascinated with the macabre and warm up the courses with art. This bridges the gap between those interested in human anatomy and those interested in detective work. You don’t need to post cartoon skulls everywhere, but do use intricate, detailed sketches, art, and 3D models to capture the attention of potential students. You want to show those who love skulls, drawings, and more that there’s a hard science career path potential for them, too.
Offer Free Taster Courses, Short Courses, and More
There are so many ways that you can interest those with a toe already in the forensic science world: you can offer a short course for forensic recreation that helps give art students a chance to engage in STEM in meaningful ways, like developing the ability to recreate a face from a skull; you can host free taster courses that allow students to pop into a class here and there to see just what they’d be learning.
Give students the chance to try these courses and content up close and personal, and you’ll have more people realize it is for them and commit. As a bonus, these free or paid short courses are a great way to market such a technical topic to a wider audience.
