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Forensic Science

Entry requirements


104 to 112 UCAS points at A2 including Biology, Chemistry or Applied Science

104 to 112 UCAS points including 15 level 3 credits in Biology or Chemistry

GCSE/National 4/National 5

5 GCSEs at Grade C/4 or above including Maths and English or equivalent. Equivalent qualifications are Functional Skills Level 2 in Maths and English or Level 3 Key Skills in Maths and Communication.

Pass IB Diploma including 104 to 112 UCAS points from Higher Level subjects including HL Biology or Chemistry

104 to 112 UCAS points including Biology, Chemistry or Applied Science

OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma

D*D-D*D*

including acceptable Chemistry and Biology units

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

DMM

including acceptable Chemistry and Biology units

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

D*D-D*D*

BTEC Applied Science from 2016 - Must include 6 of the following BTEC modules at Merit - Principles and Applications of Science I, Practical Scientific Procedures and Techniques, Science Investigation Skills, Laboratory Techniques and their Application, Principles and Applications of Science II, Investigative Project, Physiology of Human Body Systems, Human Regulation and Reproduction, Biological Molecules and Metabolic Pathways, Genetics and Genetic Engineering, Diseases and Infection, Applications of Inorganic Chemistry, Applications of Organic Chemistry, Microbiology and Microbiological Techniques, Industrial Chemical Reactions, Practical Chemical Analysis, Biomedical Science, Materials Science, Forensic Evidence, Collection and Analysis, Forensic Fire Investigation BTEC Applied Science pre 2016 - Must include 6 of the following modules at Merit - Fundamentals of Science, Scientific Investigations, Scientific Practical Techniques, Mathematical Calculation for Science, Using Statistics in Science, Physiology of Human Body Systems, Physiology of Human Regulation and Reproduction, Biochemistry and Biomechanical Techniques, Microbiological Techniques, Chemistry for Biology Technicians, Genetics and Genetic Engineering, Practical Chemical Analysis, Biomedical Science Techniques

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

DMM

BTEC Applied Science from 2016 - Must include 6 of the following BTEC modules at Merit - Principles and Applications of Science I, Practical Scientific Procedures and Techniques, Science Investigation Skills, Laboratory Techniques and their Application, Principles and Applications of Science II, Investigative Project, Physiology of Human Body Systems, Human Regulation and Reproduction, Biological Molecules and Metabolic Pathways, Genetics and Genetic Engineering, Diseases and Infection, Applications of Inorganic Chemistry, Applications of Organic Chemistry, Microbiology and Microbiological Techniques, Industrial Chemical Reactions, Practical Chemical Analysis, Biomedical Science, Materials Science, Forensic Evidence, Collection and Analysis, Forensic Fire Investigation BTEC Applied Science pre 2016 - Must include 6 of the following modules at Merit - Fundamentals of Science, Scientific Investigations, Scientific Practical Techniques, Mathematical Calculation for Science, Using Statistics in Science, Physiology of Human Body Systems, Physiology of Human Regulation and Reproduction, Biochemistry and Biomechanical Techniques, Microbiological Techniques, Chemistry for Biology Technicians, Genetics and Genetic Engineering, Practical Chemical Analysis, Biomedical Science Techniques

104 to 112 UCAS points including Biology, Chemistry or Applied Science

104 to 112 UCAS points including Biology, Chemistry or Applied Science

T Level

M

including Biology or Chemistry or Applied Science

UCAS Tariff

104-112

Including Biology, Chemistry or Applied Science. Our typical offer is 104 to 112 UCAS Points. We operate a flexible admissions policy and treat everyone as an individual. This means that we will take into consideration your educational achievements and predicted grades (where applicable) together with your application as a whole, including work experience and personal statement.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Forensic science

**Course Overview**

Explore the science of investigation, learning the skills to collect, analyse and interpret evidence. It’s a highly specialised course, designed to put you on a high-impact career path.

**Why study with us**

- You’ll learn the theory and practice of forensic investigation, crime scene processing and laboratory-based analysis.

- Learn from experts in their fields, whether seasoned CSIs, former police professionals or leading academics. This combination of teaching staff allows us to build on the many years' experience of senior practitioners and research developments at the cutting-edge of the discipline.

- Our course provides an excellent starting point for a career in the competitive sector of forensic science. You’ll find our former students working in all sorts of forensic science settings – as CSI, police officers, scientific support personnel and intelligence analysts, at home and overseas.

**What you'll do**

- You’ll work in labs equipped with cutting-edge microscopy and analytical equipment, and at our outdoor facility for research in forensic taphonomy and decomposition.

- As well as covering modules focused on the core aspects of Forensic Science, you can focus on specialist areas like genetics, toxicology and anthropology.

- You can take a sandwich-year placement, developing vital career-boosting skills in a local hospital laboratory or with a scientific research project.

**Accreditations**

- This course is accredited by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences, demonstrating that it provides a solid, widely respected route into the highly competitive field of forensic and criminal investigation.

**Future Careers**

By the time you graduate from our Forensic Science BSc (Hons) programme, you will be well placed to start an exciting career in areas of forensic science, biological sciences or chemical analysis.

Modules

Please visit The University of Central Lancashire’s website for the latest information about our modules.

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
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Central Lancashire

Department:

School of Law and Policing

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.

93%
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

96%
Staff make the subject interesting
95%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
93%
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

83%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
86%
Course specific equipment and facilities
86%
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?

96%
UK students
4%
International students
24%
Male students
76%
Female students
78%
2:1 or above
17%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
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.

£19,200
high
Average annual salary
98%
high
Employed or in further education
36%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

19%
Protective service occupations
12%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
11%
Science, engineering and production technicians

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.

£18k

£18k

£22k

£22k

£22k

£22k

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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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