Forensic Science with Criminology
Entry requirements
A level
At least a grade C at A level in either Biology, Human Biology or Chemistry (or equivalent qualification).
Access to HE Diploma
Pass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits with 45 at Level 3. Must include passes in compulsory L3 subjects
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE Maths and English Grade 4/Grade C (or above) or equivalent qualification
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
T Level
T-Level in Science
UCAS Tariff
We encourage you to outline all your qualifications and achievements in your application to provide us a full picture. Your offer will typically be based on your predicted and/or achieved grades from full level 3 qualifications or above e.g. A levels, BTEC Ext Diploma, Access to HE, etc. Any subject specifics are outlined below in the Further Information section, and these specifics are applicable across all equivalent qualifications. A strong application/performance and appropriate experience will be taken into account where typical criteria is not met.
About this course
**This course covers topics such as the causes of criminal behaviour and whether criminals are born or made, as well as the legal aspects of forensic science.**
**KEY FEATURES OF THE COURSE:**
- **ACCREDITATION:** Study on a course fully accredited by the Chartered Society of Forensic Science, reflecting its link to industry standards, student-centred approach, excellent facilities and focus on employability upon graduation.
- **CRIMINAL JUSTICE FOCUS:** Your studies will be underpinned by a strong focus on the criminal justice system and the legal aspects of forensic science. You’ll explore issues such as expert testimony and evidence, miscarriages of justice, the court process and the roles of the judge, jury and witnesses.
- **FACILITIES:** You'll have access to our specialist Crime Scene House with seven domestic and commercial crime scenes, we also have cars for mock crime scenes, and crown courts for presenting evidence. Our Crime Scene House also features a blood pattern analysis room.
- **SCIENTIFIC EXPERIENCE:** Hone your scientific skills in our forensic science laboratories. These include an osteology lab for skeletal study, a wet forensic lab, dark room for specialised light searching and photography, an entomology lab for insect investigation, and forensic imaging facilities.
- **EXPERT TEACHING:** You'll be taught by active researchers who have many years of commercial forensic experience. Guest speakers, such as criminal justice professionals, judges and lawyers, will also share their remarkable experiences with you.
- **TAILORED TO YOU:** There are plenty of opportunities to tailor your studies to match your personal interests and career aspirations through our wide selection of optional modules.
**WHAT YOU'LL COVER:**
- First year modules will introduce you to key skills as well as the principles of forensic science. A range of modules at stages years two and three include trace interpretation, miscarriages of justice, and policing and society, with options to explore drug of abuse, anthropology or victimology among others. For your final-year research project, you will have the chance to focus on a specialist theme of your choice. You'll have the opportunity to apply for a year-long placement to help develop the skills employers look for.
**HOW YOU'RE ASSESSED:**
- You’ll be assessed through a range of mediums, including formal witness statements and expert testimony, as well as essays, laboratory reports, case studies, portfolios, and presentations.
**YOUR CAREER:**
- Our course gives you a solid foundation for success in a challenging and pioneering profession - you could follow in the footsteps of our many successful graduates and work within the criminal justice system, the police force, the prison service or forensic services. You could also pursue careers in broader areas such as insurance companies, law firms, pharmaceutical companies or private laboratories. The course equips you with the skills needed to take your studies to a higher level too as you could go on to study for an MSc, MPhil or PhD.
**STUDY OPTIONS:**
- This course is available with a Foundation Year option.
- This course is available with an Industrial Placement Year.
Tuition fees
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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)
Sociology
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
Sociology
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
We have quite a lot of sociology graduates, although numbers fell last year. But graduates still do pretty well. Most sociology graduates go straight into work when they complete their degrees, and a lot of graduates go into jobs in social professions such as recruitment, education, community and youth work, and housing. An important option for a sociology graduate is social work - and we're short of people willing to take this challenging but rewarding career. Sociology is a flexible degree and you can find graduates from the subject in pretty much every reasonable job — obviously, you don't find many doctors or engineers, but you do find them in finance, the media, healthcare, marketing and even IT. Sociology graduates taking further study often branch out into other qualifications, like teaching, law, psychology, HR and even maths, so don’t think a sociology degree restricts you to just one set of 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.
£19k
£23k
£24k
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.
Sociology
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
£21k
£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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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?
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