Criminal Justice and Forensic Science Please login to Apply

In year 1 you will study the differences between deviant and criminal behaviour, the foundations of criminal law, and the way in which the criminal justice system operates.

You will also cover core forensic science, data analysis and biomolecular science. Forensic topics introduced include drink driving, drugs, fingerprint development, explosions and crime scene investigation.

Laboratory work is an important part of your studies, practical exercises include microscopy, biochemical tests, forensic anthropology, fingerprint development and CSI.

Other activities will develop transferable skills, these include writing a report on a high-profile case, making a poster presentation, participating in a mock court and giving a presentation on a crime scene.

Learning and teaching will involve scheduled lectures, workshops, laboratory classes as well as independent study. Extensive use is made of the virtual learning environment Moodle, to deliver teaching materials and complete assessments.

In Year 2 the theoretical underpinnings for understanding policing and contemporary perspectives on crime are studied.

Science study will build your knowledge of topics important to forensic science such as statistical evaluation of DNA evidence, drug analysis and pharmacology. Laboratory and crime scene skills are also developed.  Practical skills are key for careers in forensic science and they are further developed with a range of practical activities that reflect the diverse work of forensic scientists.

In year 3 crime scene expertise is developed with topics such as contamination prevention, trace evidence recovery and presumptive tests for blood and drugs. Laboratory classes will focus on trace evidence identification and drug analysis.

Criminal justice studies include policing communities and prisons and penology.

Normal teaching schedules are supplemented by a variety of activities such as group work, guest speakers from industry and employability activities.

Following-on from your Year 3 studies, there is the option to undertake a 12-month, paid, work experience placement.

After Year 3 you will also have the option to undertake a 12-month paid work experience as part of the Honours sandwich programme.

This is could be spent working in a laboratory or in a criminal justice related setting.

In year 4 specialist modules will deepen your understanding how physical and biological evidence is recovered and examined. You will carry out a major crime scene investigation activity and present the results in a mock court. The effect of crime on society and victims is studied and there are options to study topics such as global security.

A major part of your studies will be a supervised research project relating to forensic science and/or criminal justice in a topic of your choice. To assist our students in their research they have access to excellent computing facilities with the latest software for crime scene investigation, statistical analysis of evidence and research literature searching.

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials and workshops. 

You will also have the opportunity to take part in group work and independent learning to develop your transferable skills such as research, presentation, communication and working as part of a team. 

Extensive use is made of the Moodle virtual learning environment as well as the latest software packages.

This degree is assessed using a variety of assessment methods including: 

• Written examinations 
• Coursework 
• Practical assessment

This course also gives you the option of taking a language module, which can count towards your degree. These modules cover multiple language.

Find out more about the structure, learning outcomes, compulsory and optional modules in this course.

Criminal Justice and Forensic Science course structure