Forensic Science

If you want to develop scientific expertise and advanced problem solving, applying it to very practical demands, our Forensic Science degree may be for you.

Our Forensic Science degrees have been designed to develop scientific expertise, advanced analytical problem solving and transferable skills. The course is ideal for those who are interested in the application of science within the criminal justice system.

You will benefit from our highly practical approach to learning. You will gain hands-on experience using a range of instruments and techniques used in forensic science, such as Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), DNA profiling, blood splatter analysis, drug profiling and scanning electron microscopy. Our industry standard facilities include a crime scene house and specialist laboratories.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: BSc (Hons) Forensic Science

Year One Core: Case Studies in Criminal Justice; Crime Scene Processing; Introduction to Forensic Biology; Introduction to Forensic Chemistry; Practical Forensic Scientific Techniques
Year One Optional: Detection and Analysis of Drugs; Fraud and Forgeries; Digital Evidence Processing
Year Two Core: Analytical Methods in Forensic Science; Biological Methods in Forensic Science; Designing Research Projects; Marks and Traces
Year Two Optional: Chemical and Biological Interactions in Forensics; Firearm Investigations; Forensic Anthropology in the 21st Century; Forensic Archaeology; Vehicle Collision Investigation
Year Three Core: Collection and Analysis of Scene Evidence; Expert Witness and the Legal System; Forensic Research Project; Modern Forensics
Year Three Optional: Forensic Field School; Synthetic Chemistry for Forensic Science; Techniques in the Identification of Human Remains

Your course will provide you with opportunities to test your understanding of your subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Each module normally includes practice or ‘formative’ assessments, for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are developmental and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark. There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. This includes a range of coursework assessments, such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations, final year, independent project and written examinations. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences