Facilities and expertise in Criminal Justice and International Relations

Undergraduate

Learn from top professionals and experts, using industry-leading facilities and resources that offer hands-on and hyper-real experiences.

Our School of Health, Education, Policing and Sciences champions innovative teaching – physical, digital and virtual – which bridges the gap between learning and real-world practice. On-campus courtrooms, a custody suite, prison cell, labs and various simulation settings offered in our new £2.2m simulation suite take you beyond theory to reality.

This immersive approach helps build your confidence and get you job-ready. You can examine anything from decomposition to ballistics in specialist labs, document evidence in our crime scene simulation facilities, or act as an expert witness in the courtroom, recording and re-watching your performance.

Facilities

Lifelike living space

The lifellike living space in Ashley 2 lets you practice your skills in a variety of non-clinical settings, including bedroom, bathroom, lounge and bedsit. Read more

Bedrooms:

The bedroom has an en-suite bathroom and is used for simulated crime scenes where students can practise investigative skills or social work and healthcare can use the space for urgent situations and interviews.

Lounges:

The lounges have a homely feel, with comfy furniture and framed photos. Students can use these spaces for policing or forensic investigations. Social work and healthcare can also use the space for realistic interviews and clinical emergencies.

Bathroom:

The bathroom provides a lifelike backdrop for students to practise their skills. It can be used a range of simulation scenarios, such as domestic crime scenes or clinical emergencies.

Bedsit:

With a kitchen diner, bedroom and bathroom, the bedsit provides a lifelike backdrop for students to practise their skills. Scenarios can range from gathering evidence at simulated crime scenes to dealing with clinical emergencies.
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Shop simulation space

The is ideal for simulated commercial crime scenes, where students can collect evidence and speak to witnesses or victims. Read more

They can also learn about retail law and deal with medical emergencies that occur to customers in the retail space. The space includes shelves, a counter and a small café. It’s ideal for simulated commercial crime scenes, where students can collect evidence and speak to witnesses or victims. They can also learn about retail law and deal with medical emergencies that occur to customers in the retail space.
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Custody suite

There is a front desk where suspects are booked in after arrest. Read more

Other features include equipment for measuring height and taking fingerprints and custody photos, along with evidence bags and lockers for personal belongings.
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Prison cell

With its single bed and toilet, this space can be arranged as a holding cell for detainees. It’s where students can practise offender management techniques. The room can also be turned into a more long-term prison cell.

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Science Centre

Our £30 million Science Centre in Stoke-on-Trent contains specialist laboratories with the latest state-of-the-art equipment. Read more

Find out more about our Science Centre Facilities. 

Blood Room

Simulate blood spatter in our Trauma Analysis facility. There are two wet rooms with resources to help you recreate a crime scene and see what kind of blood spatter occurs from different scenarios with different weapons.  Read more

Simulate blood spatter in our Trauma Analysis facility. There are two wet rooms with resources to help you recreate a crime scene and see what kind of blood spatter occurs from different scenarios with different weapons. Resources include rails to hang materials on, paper rolls to place on the walls to record the spatter for analysis (or you can use the walls themselves), and a range of weapons and materials to simulate a physical body.
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Ballistics Laboratory

Investigate the scientific parameters influencing short range external and terminal ballistics. This includes projectile mass, energy and shape, angle of fire, impact angle and target material. Read more

The ballistics laboratory is available to examine a variety of firearms and test fire blank firing and air weapons. The rubber cladded walls, fixed firing setup and bespoke test rigs enable learners to investigate the scientific parameters influencing short range external and terminal ballistics. Examples include projectile mass, energy and shape, angle of fire, impact angle and target material.

The ballistics laboratory is used to support teaching and learning on undergraduate and postgraduate courses and research conducted at the university. For all firearms evidence that can not be produced on-site, due to licencing restrictions, we work with local firearms ranges, the Royal Armouries and NABIS, the National Ballistics Intelligence Service, to ensure students are able to gain experience with a wide variety of firearms evidence.

Office simulation space

The office space is kitted out with computers and desks, making it ideal for students’ digital forensic investigations. Read more

Students from a range of courses can also practise their interview skills using an appropriate scenario. 
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Outdoor simulation space

This area is used for forensic investigations, such as examining vehicles after crashes or collecting evidence from a crime scene. It can also double up as a clinical simulation area, with space for our training ambulance.

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Mock Courtrooms

One room is designed as a crown courtroom and the other for cases at magistrates’ court. Read more

Students can present legal arguments, act as expert witnesses, or take part in mooting.

Our digitally enabled mock court rooms are designed to create simulated scenarios for students to put theory in to practice and gain confidence, skills and knowledge to take forward in to their career. 

One room is designed as a crown courtroom and the other for cases at magistrates’ court. Students can present legal arguments, act as expert witnesses, or take part in mooting. Each space includes a dock, lawyers’ area and a bench for the judge or magistrates.

The courtrooms are used by a wide range of students from different perspectives including law students, policing, forensics, international relations and more, to give practice with not only mooting but also in presenting evidence and various other aspects of trials.

In our video, learn about simulation in our Mock Court Room, used by students to practice their skills to prepare them for their future career.
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Cyber/Biometrics Lab

Our Cyber Lab contains dual screen PCs bound within a dedicated isolated network. Our in-house developed virtual machines and environment enables several types of cyber protection to be developed, and ethical hacking investigations to take place. Read more

Find out more: Networks and Cyber Security. 
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Software Development Tools

You'll have access to development environments for desktop, mobile and enterprise applications. Plus access to our mobile/smart devices development lab, with a variety of mobile devices for testing.

Networking Labs

The networking labs consist of three fully equipped Cisco labs with around 340 devices, plus a Juniper set-up which can be incorporated into courses. Read more

Find out more about our networking facilities. 
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Expertise

Our teaching-focused lecturers combine academic excellence and world-relevant research with extensive real-world experience. You will learn directly from experienced industry professionals, including former senior police officers, criminologists, solicitors, barristers, experts from the prisons and probation sector, victim support and counter terrorism.

Some of our teaching team have backgrounds in areas such as investigating missing people, child sexual exploitation and major crimes, such as large scale drug importations. They have led and managed homicide investigations, and helped with Iraq’s disaster victim identification and mass grave management programme.

Through the Centre for Crime, Justice and Security, our academic experts work with the police, forensic science providers, government organisations, private companies and NGOs to address global challenges, such as hate crime, terrorism, and extremism, for instance. Recent projects have included setting up a hub for organisations involved in supporting victims/survivors of domestic abuse and sexual offences. We were also one of four universities involved in research initiated by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to understand taser use and its association with social, ethnic and racial disparities in policing.

Our staff

Dean Northfield

Senior Lecturer

Dean worked for West Yorkshire Police as a VIPER Officer (2 Years) then an Imaging Officer (6 years). He progressed to Senior Imaging Officer, before finishing his time at West Yorkshire Police in the Forensic Multimedia Unit

Dean's profile

Louis Martin

Senior Lecturer

Louis worked for Derbyshire Constabulary before becoming Head of the Roads Policing Unit and Detective Inspector for Derby City Centre. He is Course Leader for Criminal Justice with Offender Management.

Louis's profile

Dr Duncan Parker

Course Director

Duncan Parker joined the university in 2017 as a lecturer in Chemistry, teaching on the Forensic Science degrees. He is now Course Leader for Forensic Science and Course Director for Forensic Science and Investigation.

Duncan's profile

Dr Abdulrahman Oleiwi

Senior Lecturer

Abdulrahman is a lecturer in forensic genetics and forensic biology. He joined Staffordshire University in 2019 within the school of Law, Policing and Forensics and lectures at all levels on Forensic Biology and DNA Profiling.

Abdulrahman's profile

Justin Mason-Spanner

Lecturer

I spent 30 years in the Police completing my service as a nationally trained and accredited Senior Investigating Officer, managing murder investigations. I use my knowledge and experience to deliver modules within the course.

Justin's profile

Dr Lauren Metcalfe

Course Director

Lauren completed her PhD in Evidence Based Policing and joined Staffordshire University in 2017. She is now Course Leader for Professional Policing (our Pre-join degree) and Course Director for our policing degrees.

Lauren's profile

Sarah Watson

Senior Lecturer

Sarah Watson is a Senior lecturer in Policing with an academic background with an interest in crime and human behaviors. And currently Undertaking a PhD that explores mass shooting incidents across Europe.

Sarah's profile

Dr Leanne Savigar-Shaw

Senior Lecturer

I am a Lecturer in Policing with an academic and research background. I have been involved in a number of research projects focusing on mobile phone use by drivers, police legitimacy and procedural justice.

Leanne's profile

David Flatman-Fairs

Senior Lecturer

David has been a lecturer at Staffordshire University since 2002, and is now Course Leader for Forensic Investigation. His expertise are in Chemical Analysis, Criminalistic Methods and Crime Scene Processing.

David's profile

Dr Jodie Dunnett

Senior Lecturer

I am a senior lecturer and Course Leader for Forensic Science. I specialise in forensic chemistry, particularly forensic drug analysis.

Jodie's profile

The course is very interesting, it really tells you how we ended up where we are today. Besides all the facts, they make you think. They tell you the most interesting things. I hate to miss any of the lessons!

Aida Haughton

Student

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for Career Prospects

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Facilities

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Social Inclusion

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023

of Research Impact is ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very Considerable’

Research Excellence Framework 2021

of Research is “Internationally Excellent” or “World Leading”

Research Excellence Framework 2021

Four Star Rating

QS Star Ratings 2021