Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Forensic Science (Foundation Entry)

Entry requirements


64 UCAS points at A2 including Biology or Chemistry

64 UCAS points including Biology or Chemistry

GCSE/National 4/National 5

5 GCSEs at Grade C/4 or above including Maths and English or equivalent. Equivalent qualifications are Functional Skills Level 2 in Maths and English or Level 3 Key Skills in Maths and Communication.

Pass IB Diploma including 64 UCAS points from HL subjects, including HL Biology or Chemistry

64 UCAS points including Biology, Chemistry or Applied Science

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

MM

Applied Science required

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

MPP

Applied Sciences required

64 UCAS points including Biology or Chemistry

64 UCAS points including Biology, Chemistry or Applied Science

UCAS Tariff

64

Including Biology, Chemistry or Applied Science

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Forensic science

**Course Overview**

On our Forensic Science (Foundation Entry) course you’ll get a grounding in the kinds of skills you’ll need if you want to become a forensic scientist or a crime scene investigator.

**Why study with us**

- The foundation year provides you with an interesting and stimulating grounding in science gaining key practical skills in our modern, spacious and well-equipped laboratory facilities. You’ll build your confidence and become an independent learner.

- Learn from experts in their fields, whether seasoned CSIs, former police professionals or leading academics. This combination of teaching staff allows us to build on the many years' experience of senior practitioners and research developments at the cutting-edge of the discipline.

- Our course provides an excellent starting point for a career in the competitive sector of forensic science. You’ll find our former students working in all sorts of forensic science settings – as CSI, police officers, scientific support personnel and intelligence analysts, at home and overseas.

**What you'll do**

- Enhance your practical skills with a variety of hands-on Biology and Chemistry laboratory sessions and Physics workshops.

- Learn all about crime scene investigation, including fingerprint recovery and identification, and the recovery and analysis of trace evidence such as hairs, fibres and bodily fluids.

- On the full course you’ll get to examine evidence at simulated crime scenes inside our very own crime houses on campus.

**Accreditations**

- This course is accredited by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences, demonstrating that it provides a solid, widely respected route into the highly competitive field of forensic and criminal investigation.

**Future Careers**

Previous graduates have gone on to study for PhDs in Fire Chemistry, Neuroscience and Forensic Science. Others have pursued careers in a range of science-based roles, including forensic scientists and crime scene investigators.

Modules

Please visit The University of Central Lancashire’s website for the latest information about our modules.

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
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Central Lancashire

Department:

School of Law and Policing

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.

93%
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

96%
Staff make the subject interesting
95%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
93%
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
85%
IT resources
86%
Course specific equipment and facilities
86%
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?

96%
UK students
4%
International students
24%
Male students
76%
Female students
78%
2:1 or above
17%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
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.

£19,200
high
Average annual salary
98%
high
Employed or in further education
36%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

19%
Protective service occupations
12%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
11%
Science, engineering and production technicians

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.

£18k

£18k

£22k

£22k

£22k

£22k

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.

Share this page

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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