Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Criminal Justice and Forensic Science

Entry requirements


A level

C,C,D

plus GCSE Chemistry or Biology at Grade 4 above, OR triple Science at Grade B

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

24

including Chemistry or Biology

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

H3,H3,H3,H4

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

B,C,C,C

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

M

UCAS Tariff

90

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Forensic science

Criminal law

**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:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£18,000
per year
International
£18,000
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£1,820
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Visit www.uws.ac.uk/scholarships

The Uni


Course location:

Paisley Campus

Department:

Computing, Engineering and Physical 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.

71%
Forensic science
88%
Criminal law

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

72%
Staff make the subject interesting
81%
Staff are good at explaining things
67%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
60%
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

60%
Library resources
72%
IT resources
84%
Course specific equipment and facilities
46%
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
21%
Male students
79%
Female students
71%
2:1 or above
12%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
D
B

Law

Teaching and learning

88%
Staff make the subject interesting
95%
Staff are good at explaining things
76%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
69%
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

80%
Library resources
73%
IT resources
80%
Course specific equipment and facilities
64%
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
25%
Male students
75%
Female students
76%
2:1 or above
23%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
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.

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.

£17,200
low
Average annual salary
97%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

22%
Science, engineering and production technicians
20%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
11%
Customer service occupations

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.

£18,500
med
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education
31%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

30%
Welfare and housing associate professionals
21%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
9%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

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

£20k

£23k

£23k

£28k

£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

£19k

£21k

£21k

£23k

£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.

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