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Forensic Science

Entry requirements


A level

C

Applicants must have A level Biology or Chemistry or Applied Science at Grade C, including a Pass in the practical element (where applicable)

Pass Access to HE Diploma overall with a minimum 112 UCAS tariff points including a minimum of 18 credits at Merit in Biology or Chemistry

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

28

Including grade 5 in Higher Level Biology or Chemistry

Only acceptable if studied in addition to A level Biology or Chemistry or Applied Science at grade C

UCAS Tariff

112

Points can be from any qualification on the UCAS tariff, but must include at least 80 points from A levels BTEC Subsidiary Diploma, Diploma or Extended Diploma OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma, Diploma or Extended Diploma CACHE Diploma or Extended Diploma Irish Leaving Certificate Scottish Highers Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma or a combination of appropriate Level 3 qualifications

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Forensic science

**At Hull, we teach you much more than just the theory of forensic science. Here we’ll take you from crime scene to court room going beyond the lecture theatre to gain practical experience in crime scene investigation, analyse evidence in labs and learn how to be an expert witness in court.**

Forensic science is one of the fastest growing sectors and this course prepares you for a range of careers.

You'll gain the essential knowledge and fundamental skills to become a competent and confident forensic scientist with a significant focus on practice to application. We'll support you to develop critical thinking skills and teach you how to present clearly supported/evidenced opinions as you progress through the course. You'll also be able to make use of our specialist crime scene training facilities and excellent links with police forces.

Taking part in our programme, you’ll be taught by internationally respected experts including experienced Forensic practitioners using the most advanced concepts and methodologies to develop your scientific knowledge. Our teaching team includes active researchers who are recognised as ‘world leading’ in the most recent Research Excellence Framework.†

If you are fascinated by forensic science and its impact in solving crimes and are looking for a career that makes a difference, our course has been carefully designed to equip you with developing specific subject knowledge and the practical skills to succeed. We embed transferable skills across the course to boost your employability while providing opportunities for personal and professional development to ensure our graduates leave with the ability to tackle complex scientific problems with confidence, skill and maturity.

Our Forensic Science degree equips you for a range of career options to work as a forensic scientist, an academic researcher, as a commercial scientist, a toxicologist, in scientific sales, as a data analyst or in education or teaching – to name just a few possible destinations

This course gives you the valuable skills and experiences that employers actively look for. It’s our way of putting you – and your career – at the heart of what we do.

**Official Team GB partners**

Did you know that the University of Hull is the official University Partner of Team GB? Our united belief is that anyone, with the right opportunities ahead and a dedicated team behind, can achieve extraordinary things. This is what our partnership with Team GB is built on. Extraordinary is in you – and we’ll help you find it.

What does this mean for you? It means that whether you’re studying sports science, or marketing, or logistics, or healthcare, or engineering, you’ll be able to gain invaluable experience through this unique partnership.

We are working with Team GB to create opportunities for volunteering and work experience, to get involved with meet-and-greet sessions with Olympians, host on-campus talks from guest speakers and so much more. Some of our students recently helped Team GB athletes get their kit ready to compete in preparation for the Minsk 2019 European Games. It’s an extraordinary partnership, and you won’t find it anywhere else.

Find out more at hull.ac.uk/teamgb

Modules

Year 1

Core modules

Introduction to Forensic Science
Introduction to DNA and Chromatography
Skills for Forensic Science
Biochemistry
Cell Structure and Function
Human Physiology

Year 2

Core modules

Human Anatomy
Forensic Science in Practice
Crime Scene to Courtroom I
Professional and Research Skills for Forensic Scientists
​Molecular Cell Biology and Histopathology
Crime Scene to Courtroom II

Year 3

Core modules

Advanced Forensic Science
Current Topics in Forensic Science
Forensic Analysis of Drugs

Compulsory module

Final year lab-based project (40 credits)

Optional modules

Forensic Psychology
Cellular Pathology
Human Genetics

All modules are subject to availability and this list may change at any time.

Assessment methods

You'll be assessed through a combination of written, practical and coursework assessments throughout your degree.

Written assessment typically includes exams and multiple choice tests.

Practical is an assessment of your skills and competencies. This could include presentations, school experience, work experience or laboratory work.

Coursework typically includes essays, written assignments, dissertations, research projects or producing a portfolio of your 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
International
£19,500
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:

The University of Hull

Department:

Faculty of Health 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.

27%
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

35%
Staff make the subject interesting
76%
Staff are good at explaining things
49%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
30%
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

77%
Library resources
86%
IT resources
65%
Course specific equipment and facilities
22%
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?

99%
UK students
1%
International students
27%
Male students
73%
Female students
76%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
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.

£21,000
med
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

23%
Natural and social science professionals
11%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
9%
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.

£31k

£31k

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 criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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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:

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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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.

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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.

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