Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Crime and Investigative Studies (with placement year)

Entry requirements


GCSE/National 4/National 5

3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above, including English and Maths.

UCAS Tariff

104

from a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent).

About this course


Course option

4years

Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Forensic science

Get exposure to the real world of crime and investigation. Our Cambridge-based degree course covers forensic science, crime scene processing, policing and the law.

Are you interested in crime, forensic science, policing and the law, but unsure which subject to study? You’ll cover them all on our Crime and Investigative Studies degree course.

We combine crime scene examination and procedures around ISO accreditation with other crime-related subjects, such as policing, intelligence and the law. You’ll learn about forensics, policing, the law and the important of a methodical crime-scene process from lecturers with first-hand experience in the field.

One of the few degree programmes accredited by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences, our course offers you real-world experience through work placements, internships and field trips, and career possibilities in criminal justice, crime analysis, fire investigation, fraud, policing and victim support.

Use our superb crime scene rooms to learn the skills of a crime scene examiner, as well as industry-standard technology such as 360-degree camera and technology systems. The crime scene rooms feature video and audio CCTV so you can be assessed and receive valuable feedback.

We’ll help you to understand the practical aspects of crime, and how they affect everyday investigations. You’ll look at different types of crime – from burglary through to murder – and find out how these are investigated by the Police, and how other agencies such as fire and rescue contribute to investigations.

As a BSc (Hons) Crime and Investigative Studies student at ARU, you’ll learn not only how to process a crime scene but also how to investigate a crime from scratch. We’ll consider all the processes involved through modules including Forensic Scene Examination.

Our three-year degree course is accredited by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences (CSFS) and explores traditional investigative methods used by the Police, as well as newer approaches such as evidence-based policing. You will also learn how to present professional reports in both a policing environment and within a court of law.

As well as benefitting from our tutors’ knowledge, you’ll attend guest lectures from visiting professionals and get an understanding of the workplace through visits to places such as the Crown Court, and other field trips.

You have the option to take a placement year as part of your course, and gain valuable work experience.

Modules

Year 1 Core Modules
United Kingdom Legal Systems and Law for Forensic Scientists
Applied Science for Forensic Investigators
Introduction to Forensic Photography and Methodologies
Investigative Skills
Physical Criminalistics
Personal and Professional Development - Level 4

Year 2 Core Modules
Forensic Scene Examination
Police and Forensic Investigations
Introduction to Fire Investigation
Personal and Professional Development - Level 5
Ruskin Module
Mass Fatality Incidents
Evidence Based Policing
Digital Forensics

Year 3 Core Modules
Work Placement Life Science

Year 4 Core Modules
Undergraduate Major Project
Management of Major Investigation
Specialised Topics in Investigative Science
Forensic Pathology
Forensic Anthropology
Major Investigations

Assessment methods

Throughout the course, we’ll use a range of assessment methods to measure your progress. Our course has a hands-on approach, so a lot of your assessment will be through practical work. Your assessments will include traditional exams and assignments, as well as your performance in practical work, presentations, mock courts and group work.

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
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Cambridge Campus

Department:

School of Life 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.

83%
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

89%
Staff make the subject interesting
91%
Staff are good at explaining things
87%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
91%
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

92%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
92%
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?

82%
UK students
18%
International students
21%
Male students
79%
Female students
81%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
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.

£18,252
med
Average annual salary
92%
med
Employed or in further education
36%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

17%
Science, engineering and production technicians
14%
Protective service occupations
14%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

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

£22k

£22k

£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