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Forensic Science (including foundation year)

Entry requirements


GCSE/National 4/National 5

English Language and Mathematics at grade C (grade 4) or above (or equivalent eg Functional Skills at Level 2). Applicants who meet the UCAS points criteria but who obtained a D (grade 3) in English and/or Maths at GCSE may be offered a University test in these areas

UCAS Tariff

32

About this course


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

Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

8 years | Part-time | 2024

Subject

Forensic science

**Why study this course?**

Our Forensic Science (including foundation year) BSc (Hons) degree focuses on the science and investigative techniques required for a career in forensics.

This four-year course has a built-in foundation year (Year 0), designed to help you enter higher education if you can’t meet the entry requirements or don’t hold the traditional qualifications you require to enrol on an undergraduate degree. You’ll graduate with the same title and award as students on the standard three-year course.

**More about this course**

Our Forensic Science (including foundation year) BSc (Hons) course will provide you with an interdisciplinary approach to the study of forensic science. It will equip you with a range of scientific techniques to examine problems of a biological or chemical nature within the context of forensic science.

The foundation year will equip you with the fundamental knowledge of scientific disciplines including biochemistry, chemistry and biology. We’ll help you develop your study and transferable skills in time management, writing and mathematics, enabling you to start the subsequent years of your study with confidence. There will also be an introduction to the laboratory environment, as well as to the simple biological and biochemical procedures relevant to any science degree.

You’ll share your foundation year with students completing Year 0 from other disciplines, which will allow you to share your ideas and meet people with different academic interests.

During the subsequent three years, you'll be joined by students from the standard three-year course and study a wide range of challenging and engaging subjects including anatomy, physiology, criminalistics, DNA technology, biochemical toxicology and forensic interference from biological remains. To learn more about the content of your final three years of study, visit the Forensic Science BSc (Hons) page.

If, at the end of your foundation year, you find yourself wanting to specialise in a different area of human sciences, there will be flexibility to do so.

Modules

Module details below are subject to change. Please see the university website course page for full module details.
Foundation year (Year 0) modules include:
Scientific Studies (core, 30 credits);
Biology (core 30 credits);
Chemistry (core, 30 credits);
Biochemistry (core, 15 credits);
Foundation Year Project (Biosciences) (core, 15 credits)

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

Throughout the course you will be assessed through a range of coursework assignments, online tests, progress tests, presentations and practical reports.

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

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
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UCAS Points: 112-120
Same University
London Metropolitan University | Islington
Forensic Science
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 96-112

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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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