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Archaeology and Forensic Biology

Entry requirements


A level

B,C,C-B,B,C

112 UCAS points from GCE A Levels. Typical offer - BCC/BBC The department requires one of the following subjects as essential for entry: GCE A Level: Biology, Applied Science

Access to HE Diploma (Science) course to include 30 level 3 credits at Merit or above

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

26

26 points including 5 in Biology

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H3,H3,H3,H3,H4

Including H3 in Biology

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

DMM

BTEC Extended Diploma (Applied Science or Animal Management): DMM

Scottish Higher

B,B,B,B

BBBB including Biology

T Level

M

T Level must be in Science

UCAS Tariff

112

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Archaeology

Forensic biology

A Combined Honours degree at Chester gives you the opportunity to study two subjects. You will spend a fairly even amount of time studying each subject area, with possible opportunities to declare a major – minor towards the end of your studies.

**Archaeology**
Explore the richness and diversity of the human past, from the hunter-gatherers of Ice Age Europe to the inhabitants of modern cities, developing the skills that will lead to success in your future career.

Work on excavations, carry out scientific studies of archaeological materials, visit heritage sites to reflect on the way the past is presented, and discuss and debate different interpretations of the past. Learn to collect, analyse and interpret data, and to think critically, evaluating different sources of evidence and drawing conclusions from them.

Our course balances the practical aspects of archaeology, such as fieldwork and laboratory analysis, with teaching that spans much of the human past, with a geographic scope that includes Northwest Europe, the Baltic, Russia and Siberia, and continental North America, all supported by our purpose-built archaeology laboratory and our artefact workroom.

Our Single Honours Archaeology course is accredited by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) and University Archaeology UK (UAUK). This recognises that it provides skills relevant to a career in the historic environment. It also underlines the strong practical, and range of applied training in Archaeology we provide, how we prepare our students for future success, and our commitment to developing the professional and transferable skills of all of our students. Combined Honours students have full access to the accredited programme.

**Forensic Biology**
Explore the fast-moving and exciting science behind criminal investigation through the study of biology and practical forensic applications.

This course offers a combination of forensic aspects with a thorough grounding in the traditional science of biology, in particular the molecular biology techniques and DNA profiling. The techniques you will learn are transferable to other biological disciplines and provide a solid foundation for a wide range of graduate employment.

You will gain practical experience in teaching laboratories and crime scene sites, and you will work on projects independently and as part of a team to encourage exploration of cooperation.

Teaching is delivered by an experienced and committed team of lecturers, supported by practising experts from many forensic disciplines, and you will have the opportunity to involve yourself in a range of practices, from crime scene to court. Emphasis is placed on the development of key broad skills, equipping you with the necessary theoretical basis and practical experience to enter many areas of employment in both forensic and biological sciences.

Modules

For the latest example of curriculum availability on this course please refer to the University of Chester's Website.

Assessment methods

For Forensic Biology, assessments are designed to challenge and encourage both your academic skills and skills valid in the workplace. They include a combination of coursework and end-of-module examinations. Coursework includes essays and reports, data processing and oral presentations.

For Archaeology, assessment is varied: written work in the form of essays, reports and portfolios, oral presentations, and examinations all feature. In all cases our assessment develops and enhances your key employability skills.

Tuition fees

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

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

The Uni


Course location:

Chester

Department:

Biological 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.

65%
Forensic biology

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.

Archaeology

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

90%
UK students
10%
International students
46%
Male students
54%
Female students
83%
2:1 or above
10%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

Forensic and archaeological sciences

Teaching and learning

81%
Staff make the subject interesting
81%
Staff are good at explaining things
77%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
77%
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

81%
Library resources
92%
IT resources
92%
Course specific equipment and facilities
50%
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?

90%
UK students
10%
International students
33%
Male students
67%
Female students
75%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
D

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.

Archaeology

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.

£17,500
med
Average annual salary
83%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

33%
Natural and social science professionals
31%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
6%
Other elementary services occupations

Want to do a job in the arts - with lots of the great outdoors? Try archaeology! There don't tend to be many archaeology undergraduates out there (just under 700 graduated in 2015) - but it's quite a popular subject at postgraduate level. In fact, over a quarter of archaeology graduates take some kind of further study when they graduate - usually more study of archaeology. When you look at the stats, be aware that junior jobs in archaeology are not always well paid at the start of your career, and that temporary contracts are not uncommon. Thankfully, though, unpaid work, whilst not completely gone, is less common than it used to be. The archaeology graduates of 2015 found jobs in archaeology, of course, but also management and heritage and environment work, as well as more conventional graduate jobs in marketing and the finance industry.

Biology

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.

£18,320
med
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

27%
Science, engineering and production technicians
16%
Natural and social science professionals
14%
Other elementary services occupations

What about your long term prospects?

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

Archaeology

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

£17k

£17k

£20k

£20k

£21k

£21k

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.

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
University of Nottingham | Nottingham
Historical Archaeology
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 96-135
Nearby University
University of Liverpool | Liverpool
Evolutionary Anthropology
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 120-144

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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:

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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