About the course

Bringing together the emerging fields of forensic science and criminology, this course gives you the lab skills and practical crime-scene experience of the scientist combined with a criminological exploration of why people commit a crime, and the role of the police and criminal justice system in its prevention.

Our degree provides you with a foundation in the biological and chemical sciences that apply to forensic science as well as exploring the criminological theory, crime-scene investigation, and the role of scene-of-crime officers. In the Criminology units, you gain an understanding of how data can be analyzed to identify and predict factors that may cause people to commit crimes. You also explore the role of forensic science, the police, and the criminal justice system in the prevention, deterrence, and punishment of criminal behavior.

The course has been designed to develop your skills in laboratory analysis; the interpretation and evaluation of evidence; and the communication of scientific findings. You also learn how to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different criminological explanations; make reasoned arguments, and bring together information from different sources.

Why choose this course?

• Our Forensic Science courses rank in the top 10 for overall student satisfaction, out of 37 HE institutions offering the subject (Complete University Guide, 2023)
• Explore topics at the forefront of current developments in forensic science
• Study in a specialist forensic laboratory, with key laboratory skills incorporated into most of the units
• Learn the skills and techniques needed to evaluate a real-life crime scene in our scene-of-crime lab, designed to resemble a ‘normal’ flat
• Work with a Forensic Science team that includes international experts in the psychology of criminal behavior and forensics experts from a variety of operational backgrounds
• Acquire key transferable skills including oral and written communication; IT; group and teamwork; analysis; critical thinking; and problem-solving
• Take the course over four years and include a fee-free year in the industry, gaining work experience, building your CV, and making contacts for the future
• If you need a step up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year which guarantees you a place on the degree course