Criminal Justice and Forensic Science
Entry requirements
A level
plus GCSE Chemistry or Biology at Grade 4 above, OR triple Science at Grade B
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
including Chemistry or Biology
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Including Chemistry
Entry into Year 2 with HNC Applied Science, or other relevant science-based title
Entry into Year 3 with HND Applied Science or other relevant science-based title
Scottish Higher
plus National 5 Chemistry or Biology at Grade B, OR Higher Human Biology and National 5 Maths/Applications of Maths at Grade B.
T Level
UCAS Tariff
About this course
**OVERVIEW**
The BSc Criminal Justice and Forensic Science degree helps you kick-start your career in the criminal justice system by developing expertise in criminal justice and the forensic examination of evidence.
This unique degree offers an opportunity to study criminal justice theory, research and policy alongside the forensic science vital to modern investigations. It draws on learning and expertise from two existing and successful degrees (BA Criminal Justice and BSc Forensic Science) and it covers the study of:
// the concepts, theories, structures, organisations, processes and practices involved with the prevention, investigation and prosecution of crime, the workings of the criminal law and criminal court system and the treatment of offenders
// crime scene examination, drugs, alcohol and evidence interpretation
This degree will prepare you for a career in the criminal justice system in policing, criminology or as a forensic examiner capable of analysing and interpreting evidence from crime scenes. Throughout your studies, you will gradually develop your scientific knowledge and research and inquiry skills applicable to the interface between criminal justice and science.
**PRACTICAL FOCUS**
The course is practical in nature and your learning is re-inforced through site visits, workshops, laboratories, role-play and presentations.
Guest lectures from practitioners and real-world case-based projects form an important part of the course.
After Year 3 you will also have the option to undertake a 12-month paid work experience as part of the Honours sandwich programme. These placements could be spent working in a laboratory or in a criminal justice related setting.
**CAREER PROSPECTS**
**Jobs**
As a BSc (Hons) Criminal Justice and Forensic Science graduate, you’ll have expertise in both criminal justice and science giving you a wide range of career possibilities. Graduates of this programme will be well prepared for careers in areas such as: Crime scene examination / Police and prison services / Courts and restorative justice / Drug and alcohol services / Customs and excise.
**Further Study**
Our graduates can go on to further academic study leading to Master of Science (MSc), Master of Research (MRes), Master of Philosophy (MPhil), or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in areas such as Forensic Science, Education, Criminology, Alcohol and Drugs and Bioscience.
Modules
In Year 1, you will study the differences between deviant and criminal behaviour, the foundations of criminal law, and the way in which the criminal justice system operates. You will also cover core forensic science, data analysis and biomolecular science. Forensic topics introduced include drink driving, drugs, fingerprint development, explosions and crime scene investigation.
In Year 2, the theoretical underpinnings for understanding policing and contemporary perspectives on crime are studied. Science study will build your knowledge of topics important to forensic science such as statistical evaluation of DNA evidence, drug analysis and pharmacology.
In year 3 crime scene expertise is developed with topics such as contamination prevention, trace evidence recovery and presumptive tests for blood and drugs. Laboratory classes will focus on trace evidence identification and drug analysis. Criminal justice studies include policing communities and prisons and penology.
In your final year of study, you will study specialist modules will deepen your understanding how physical and biological evidence is recovered and examined. You will carry out a major crime scene investigation activity and present the results in a mock court. The effect of crime on society and victims is studied and there are options to study topics such as global security. In addition, a major part of your Hons year studies will be a supervised research project relating to forensic science and/or criminal justice in a topic of your choice.
Assessment methods
You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials and workshops.
You will also have the opportunity to take part in group work and independent learning to develop your transferable skills such as research, presentation, communication and working as part of a team.
Extensive use is made of the Moodle virtual learning environment as well as the latest software packages.
This degree is assessed using a variety of assessment methods including:
// Written examinations // Coursework // Practical assessment // Reflective case study reports // Role-play assessments // Poster presentations
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Visit www.uws.ac.uk/scholarships
The Uni
Paisley Campus
Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences
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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Law
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
Law
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.
Top job areas of graduates
Law graduates tend to go into the legal industry, and they usually take similar routes. Jobs are competitive — often very competitive - but starting salaries are good and high fliers can earn serious money - starting on over £24k in London on average. Be aware though - some careers, especially as barristers, can take a while to get into, and the industry is changing as the Internet, automation and economic change all have an effect, If you want to qualify to practise law, you need to take a professional qualification — many law graduates then go on to law school. If you want to go into work, then a lot of law graduates take trainee or paralegal roles and some do leave the law altogether, often for jobs in management, finance and the police force. A small proportion of law graduates also move into another field for further study. Management, accountancy and teaching are all popular for these career changers, so if you do take a law degree and decide it’s not for you, there are options.
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
£23k
£28k
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.
Law
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£19k
£21k
£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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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:
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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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