First year:
Using our simulation facilities, you’ll learn how to process a crime scene, including sketching and photographing the scene, protecting evidence from contamination, and packaging samples. These are important skills if you want to become a scenes of crime officer (SOCO) or investigator.
We’ll start to build your digital forensic skills, including extracting evidence from mobile phones and other equipment. There will be an introduction to forensic scientific techniques in our labs.
You will also cover policing theory and the role of evidence-based policing. Optional modules delve into topics like missing person investigations and techniques used to detect fraud and forgeries.
Second year:
You’ll look at biological and chemical concepts, including DNA, how to test for the presence of body fluids and interpret blood spatter patterns. We will explore techniques for analysing fingerprints, footwear impressions, fibres and glass.
You’ll look at more complex software for processing digital evidence. To build your skills as an investigator, you will learn how to manage a crime scene and interview witnesses and complainants.
For one of the optional modules, you can find out how vehicle collision investigators reconstruct crashes and examine human, mechanical and environmental factors. Other options include firearms investigations and forensic anthropology.
Third year:
You’ll bring together everything you’ve learnt by experiencing a case from crime scene to court. As part of small team, you’ll process a mock crime scene and document your evidence, then analyse samples in the lab. You will compile a report and be cross-examined on your findings in a mock courtroom.
Other modules explore the role of expert witnesses and new and emerging forensic technologies. You can also join our forensic field school and gain practical experience alongside forensic investigators.
You will complete an in-depth forensic research project.