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Forensic Science

Entry requirements


A level

C,C,C

Total of 60 credits (45 credits at Level 3 and 15 credits at Level 2) from an Access to Higher Education Diploma in a related subject with passes in Level 2 Maths and Communication units. QAA accredited course required.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

MMM

MMM in a science-related subject.

Scottish Higher

C,C,D,D,D

A minimum of 112 UCAS points from three passes at Higher level, including biology or human biology, and English and Maths at Standard level.

UCAS Tariff

112

a minimum of 112 points from A levels including a C in Biology or Human Biology, or a minimum of 112 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification eg BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma/Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Progression Diploma or Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Part-time | 2024

Subject

Forensic science

**Why study this course?**

Skilled forensic scientists are able to form an unbiased, technical understanding of any crime scene and defend their findings in court. On this fascinating degree course, you'll develop your analytical skills through problem solving exercises and hands-on lab work. You'll examine applications of bio-analysis in the modern world, such as poison and drug analysis, fingerprints and DNA profiling.

In the most recent (2015-16) Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey, 100% of graduates from this course were in work or further study within six months.

**More about this course**

This degree will prepare you to meet the growing demand for analytical expertise as you learn to tackle the problems encountered in forensic science. You’ll gain a solid foundation in general subjects that underpin forensic science including chemistry, molecular and cell biology, and genetics.

You'll carry out a range of biological, chemical and criminalistic procedures in a safe, competent and reliable way, and get the chance to put your skills to the test with hands-on laboratory sessions taught in our £30 million Science Centre. You’ll find yourself interpreting blood patterns, processing crime scenes, identifying firearms and tracing evidence.

Your normal lectures will be supported by guest lectures led by specialist practitioners from a variety of forensic science disciplines. Not only will you gain valuable insight into today’s industry, you’ll also have the opportunity to network with potential employers, colleagues and mentors.

**What our students say**

"I felt the course in general was very informative and very detailed. The lecturers were able to answer questions and relate to their work experience on the field. The library facilities along with the late opening hours were excellent. I also found that the online access to journals and library catalogues was very helpful."
National Student Survey (NSS) 2016

Modules

Module details below are subject to change. Please see the university website course page for full module details.
Year 1 modules include:

Professional Studies (core, 15 credits);
Anatomy and Physiology 1 (core, 15 credits);
Anatomy and Physiology 2 (core, 15 credits);
General Chemistry (core, 15 credits);
Cell Biology (core, 15 credits);
Biochemistry (core, 15 credits);
Fundamentals of Molecular Biology (core, 15 credits);
General Microbiology (core, 15 credits)

Year 2 modules include:

Criminalistics 1 (core, 15 credits);
Criminalistics 2 (core, 15 credits);
Quantitative Analysis (core, 5 credits);
Molecular Biology (core, 15 credits);
Human Immunity (core, 15 credits);
Spectroscopic methods (core, 15 credits);
Microbiology (core, 15 credits)

Year 3 modules include:

Project (core, 30 credits);
Toxicology (core, 15 credits);
Inference for Biological Remains (core, 30 credits);
Biochemical Pathology (core, 15 credits);
Advanced Bioanalytical Science (core, 15 credits);
Medical Genetics (option, 15 credits);
Work Placement (for Life Sciences) (option, 15 credits);
Virology (option, 15 credits);
Applied Immunology (option, 15 credits)

Assessment methods

Your practical skills will be assessed through coursework assignments, including your final project, and your data handling skills will be assessed through practical reports, problem-solving exercises, information abstracting and reviewing exercises, poster presentations and seminar presentations.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£17,600
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£17,600
per year
International
£17,600
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£17,600
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Holloway

Department:

School of Human 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.

77%
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

62%
Staff make the subject interesting
77%
Staff are good at explaining things
77%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
85%
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

83%
Library resources
92%
IT resources
92%
Course specific equipment and facilities
69%
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?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
24%
Male students
76%
Female students
61%
2:1 or above
9%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
C
B

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.

94%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

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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?

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