Program Overview

BSc (Hons) Forensic Science

Why study this course with LJMU?

• Opportunity to undertake a year's industrial placement
• 93% of students surveyed said the teaching staff were good at explaining things (National Student Survey 2024)
• Option to focus on biological or chemical aspects of analysis
• £6 million investment in teaching facilities, including specialist forensic analysis and scene-of-crime labs
• Opens up careers in the police, analytical laboratories, insurance or legal firms, independent forensic laboratories and the teaching sector
• Accredited by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences
• This degree is available to study following a foundation year
• International Foundation Year course available offering direct progression onto this degree programme

About your course

You will spend a large proportion of your time in the lab, carrying out drug spot tests, analysing fingerprints, processing crime scenes and analysing DNA while studying the BSc (Hons) Forensic Science at Liverpool John Moores University.

Over the past 50 years the analytical methods employed by forensic scientists have become very powerful indeed and have made a significant impact on conviction rates. Forensic science is all about using the power of scientific analysis to resolve legal disputes. It requires a sound knowledge of the analytical methods of biology and chemistry combined with training in crime scene investigation, as well as a basic knowledge of law and how to assess the value of evidence. You will be expected to have an attention to detail that is second to none for the microscopic analysis of hairs and fibres, DNA profiling and drug analysis.

This is a practical, hands-on course in which you will spend a large proportion of your time in the lab, carrying out spot tests for drugs, fingerprint and footwear analysis, crime scene processing, DNA analysis and forensic microscopy.

Throughout this professionally-accredited course you will be supported by our team of experts, with additional input from external speakers from all areas of forensics. There will also be plenty of opportunities for you to gain experience through work-based learning and/or on an optional sandwich placement.

Course modules

Year 1

• Forensic Science Research Methods 1 (20 credits)
• Crime Scene Investigation (20 credits)
• Forensic Chemistry (20 credits)
• Forensic Science (20 credits)
• Molecular Bioscience for Forensic Sciences (20 credits)
• Forensic Field Skills (20 credits)

Year 2

• Forensic Science Research Methods 2 (20 credits)
• Trace Evidence Analysis (20 credits)
• Analytical Forensic Science (20 credits)
• Molecular Forensics (20 credits)
• Forensic Methods (20 credits)

Year 3

• Advanced Forensic Methods (20 credits)
• Expert Witness (20 credits)
• Forensic Science Research Project (40 credits)

Optional modules

• Conducting Investigations (20 credits)
• Study Year Abroad - Forensic Science (120 credits)
• Sandwich Year - Forensic Science (120 credits)
• Forensic Human Identification (20 credits)
• Drug Analysis and Toxicology (20 credits)
• Modern Technology in Forensic Science (20 credits)
• Forensic Bioscience (20 credits)
• Forensic Anthropological Genetics (20 credits)

Professional accreditation

The BSc (Hons) Forensic Science degree is accredited by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Graduates are also eligible for associate membership of the Royal Society of Chemistry (AMRSC).

Your Learning Experience

• Teaching Support Assessment
• Excellent facilities and learning resources
• Work-related learning
• Dedicated personal tutor, plus study skills support

Career paths

Once you graduate with a BSc (Hons) in Forensic Science, you will be qualified to work in independent forensic analysis.

We have links with local police forces and forensic providers, which may provide work placements for LJMU students. Such connections ensure that the curriculum is constantly updated to meet the needs of employers. Graduates are qualified to work in forensic analysis, such as police scientific laboratories, independent forensic science providers, pharmaceutical companies, the chemical industry and hospital laboratories. You could be based in a variety of locations, such as a laboratory, office, in the field or on crime scenes. Trading standards, working for insurance companies, environmental monitoring and legal firms are other options.

Graduates from this course pursue careers in education at schools, colleges and universities and also progress to postgraduate study. Graduates are highly employable due to the transferable skills they acquire during their studies at LJMU.

Tuition fees and funding

• Home: £9,535
• International: £18,250
• Placement year: £1,905 (Home), £3,830 (International)

Entry requirements

• Grades/points required: BBC-ABB (112-128)
• GCSEs and equivalents: Grade 4 or grade C or above in English Language and Mathematics/Numeracy
• A levels: BBC-ABB
• BTECs: Extended Diploma: DMM-DDM
• Access awards: Pass overall with a minimum of 112 points
• International Baccalaureate: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications
• OCR Cambridge Technical: Extended Diploma: DMM-DDM
• Irish awards: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications
• T levels: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications
• IELTS: 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5, taken within two years of the course start date.