Forensic Science

Learn the science behind solving crimes and get the chance to do real projects with police forces through our highly practical degree course.

From day one, you’ll learn real-world skills to help become a forensic scientist. We teach the fundamentals of programming and the underpinning chemical and biological concepts. You’ll receive strong support from our academic and technical team.

Using our £2m immersive facilities, you’ll process mock crime scenes and analyse samples in our specialist labs. You’ll cover everything from DNA analysis to toxicology and will also undertake your own scientific research.

You’ll get hands-on doing microscopy and alternative light source testing of clothing to look for body fluids. Other trace evidence includes analysing hairs, glass marks and documents, and using our automated fingerprint ID system.

Opportunities include working with our Staffordshire Forensic Partnership. You could be analysing real drug samples for Staffordshire Police and providing intelligence on purity levels.

Students can also join our Cold Case Unit, where they support investigators on live missing person cases.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: BSc (Hons) Forensic Science

Course Modules

Please note, we are refreshing our curriculum which means the module structure may be subject to change. These planned changes aim to further develop your professional skills to equip you for the careers of tomorrow.

Modules for our previous intakes have included:

Year One Core: Case Studies in Criminal Justice; Crime Scene Processing; Introduction to Forensic Biology; Introduction to Forensic Chemistry; Practical Forensic Scientific Techniques
Year One Optional: Detection and Analysis of Drugs; Digital Evidence Processing

Year Two Core: Analytical Methods in Forensic Science; Biological Methods in Forensic Science; Marks and Traces; Research Skills in Forensics
Year Two Optional: Advanced Digital Evidence Processing; Chemical and Biological Interactions in Forensics; Forensic Anthropology in the 21st Century; Specialist Scene Investigation; Vehicle Collision Investigation

Year Three Core: Collection and Analysis of Scene Evidence; Expert Witness and the Legal System; Forensic Research Project; Modern Forensics
Year Three Optional: Forensic Field School; Synthetic Chemistry for Forensic Science; Techniques in the Identification of Human Remains

Your course will provide you with opportunities to test your understanding of your subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Each module normally includes practice or ‘formative’ assessments, for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are developmental and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark. There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. This includes a range of coursework assessments, such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations, final year, independent project and written examinations. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences