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Forensic Science (with Placement Year)

Entry requirements


GCSE/National 4/National 5

3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above, including English and Maths.

UCAS Tariff

112

from a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent), including grade C in Biology, Chemistry or Applied Science.

About this course


Course option

4years

Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Forensic science

Learn to collect and analyse material from crime scenes, and present scientific evidence in court with our accredited BSc (Hons) Forensic Science degree.

Our course will teach you the principles of forensic science, from crime scene to court room. Based in our £45m Science Centre in Cambridge, you’ll analyse and investigate a range of evidence in crime scene rooms and the forensic lab.

With a focus on chemical and biological analysis, you’ll find out what that evidence means. We look at ways to ‘read’ data, interpret the results and present your evidence in court.

You’ll get hands-on with specialist analytical equipment, under the guidance of expert tutors. And you’ll learn outside the classroom too, with visits to law courts and a local mortuary, and opportunities to work with local police forces and forensic labs.

Graduate with advanced skills in chemistry, biology and laboratory analysis – ready to start a career as a forensic scientist.

Get a sneak preview of our course: try your hand at online quizzes, solve a crime, hear about our latest research and tackle a chemistry word search.

As a forensic scientist you'll provide evidence for use in courts of law to support criminal and civil investigations.

You need training in the latest analytical techniques and processes, and a sound knowledge of the UK legal system to do this. All of that’s on offer at ARU.

While studying BSc (Hons) Forensic Science in Cambridge, you’ll learn how to package evidence correctly and perform preliminary tests for body fluids and drugs of abuse.

You’ll also examine ‘real’ forensic samples including ignitable liquid residues, and trace evidence such as paint and fibres. Together, we’ll explore techniques including microscopy, microspectrophotometry, spectroscopy and chromatography; and get hands-on experience of specialist instruments for biological analysis. You’re free to book additional time with this equipment outside of lessons.

As well as refining your lab skills, you’ll learn to conduct thorough, independent research – and to feel confident about presenting evidence in a court of law.

As a Forensic Science student at ARU, you’ll be eligible for student membership of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.

Modules

Year 1 Core Modules
United Kingdom Legal Systems and Law for Forensic Scientists
Applied Science for Forensic Investigators
Introduction to Forensic Photography and Methodologies
Personal and Professional Development - Level 4
Physical and Quantitative Chemistry for Forensic Scientists
Physical Criminalistics
Group Tutorials

Year 2 Core Modules
Forensic Genetics
Forensic Scene Examination
Forensic Spectroscopy Techniques
Chemical Criminalistics
Forensic Analytical Chemistry
Personal and Professional Development - Level 5
Group Tutorials
Ruskin Module

Year 3 Core Modules
Work Placement Life Science

Year 4 Core Modules
Advanced Forensic Methodologies
Forensic Analysis of Drugs and Poisons
Forensic Pathology
Advanced Fire and Explosion Investigation
Forensic Anthropology
Undergraduate Major Project

Modules are subject to change and availability.

Assessment methods

Throughout the course, we’ll use a range of assessment methods to measure your progress. This course has a hands-on approach, so a lot of your assessment will be through practical work. You’ll also do exams, essays, portfolios, role plays and presentations.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Cambridge Campus

Department:

Life Sciences

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

83%
Forensic science

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Forensic and archaeological sciences

Teaching and learning

89%
Staff make the subject interesting
91%
Staff are good at explaining things
87%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
91%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

92%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
92%
Course specific equipment and facilities
64%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

82%
UK students
18%
International students
21%
Male students
79%
Female students
81%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
C
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Forensic and archaeological sciences

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£18,252
med
Average annual salary
92%
med
Employed or in further education
36%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

17%
Science, engineering and production technicians
14%
Protective service occupations
14%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Forensic and archaeological sciences

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£20k

£20k

£22k

£22k

£23k

£23k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here