Forensic Science
Entry requirements
A level
Pass Access to HE Diploma (minimum of 45 credits at level 3)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
UCAS Tariff
About this course
Technological advances in crime detection require highly trained forensic scientists. We aim to meet this need by giving you a thorough grounding in forensic science, incorporating biological and chemical sciences, and the process of criminal investigation.
We are ranked 1st for Forensic Science in London, 21st in the whole of the UK (The Complete University Guide 2019) and achieved 100% of overall student satisfaction (NSS 2019). In addition, all of our 2017/2018 graduates found employment or went into further study within six months of graduating. We have received educational accreditation for both of our degrees from the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. We have achieved this by combining cutting-edge facilities with an innovative range of learning methods, including:
• Simulated case-work activities;
• Crime scene practical situations;
• Extensive laboratory work;
• Blood pattern interpretation studies;
• Court presentation scenarios.
We are proud of our crime scene room facilities allowing authentic crime scenarios, including blood pattern analysis, which are an important part of learning Forensic Science at UWL. These have been created so you can apply theoretical knowledge and evidence-gathering techniques within a practical crime scene context.
In addition we offer a range of scientific analytical equipment – including gas chromatography as well as Raman spectroscope and specialised lighting equipment for forensic examination of trace evidence (CrimeLites) which mirror the technology used in industry and forensic science research.
Our course will provide you with a good grounding in forensic techniques to be able to specialise in your chosen area of forensic science and provide you with key skills to support you in a new venture. You will learn transferable skills that can be used not only in Forensic Science but in many other career pathways, including scientific, legal and business.
You will get the chance to spend time working within industry in your final year. This is a valuable opportunity, making you more attractive to potential employers, who often look for candidates with prior experience. Some students have been offered employment as a result of the experience.
We pride ourselves on our personal approach. We understand that the transition to degree level can be life changing and we want to support you in every way we can. Every new student will be assigned a personal tutor, who will be able to provide dedicated support throughout your time at the university.
In addition, we have an annual Forensic Science Student conference – drawing on the expertise of people in industry and forensic research. This is a good opportunity to make personal contact with potential employers.
Please also join us on our social media accounts for regular up-to-date news and inspiration in the field of Forensic Science:
TWITTER: @CSIUWL
FACEBOOK: "Forensic Science at UWL"
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Main site - West London
School of Human and Social Sciences
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?
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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)
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
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
£22k
£27k
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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Teaching Excellence Framework (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:
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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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