Program Overview

---

BSc (Hons) Forensic Anthropology with Foundation Year

Why study this course with LJMU?

• Accredited by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences
• Extensive hands-on fieldwork and laboratory work
• Opportunity to study abroad or to undertake a year-long work placement
• Access to excellent collections of human skeletal remains
• Taught by experts in forensic anthropology, forensic archaeology, human osteology, genetics, crime scene analysis, disaster victim identification and mass graves investigation
• Specialist facilities including osteology labs with digital X-ray, 3D laser scanning and printing equipment, geophysics equipment for detecting grave sites, plus scene-of-crime houses and laboratories
• 100% of students surveyed said this course was intellectually stimulating (NSS 2024)
• International Foundation Year course available offering direct progression onto this degree programme

About your course

Through studying the BSc (Hons) Forensic Anthropology with Foundation Year degree at Liverpool John Moores University, you will acquire a solid grounding in human biology and skeletal anatomy, human variation, environmental sciences and forensic techniques to prepare you for a career as a forensic anthropologist.

About the Foundation Year

The Foundation Year is ideal if you have the ability to study for a degree but don't have the qualifications to enter directly onto the Forensic Anthropology honours degree programme Once you pass the Foundation Year you will progress directly onto the first year of the honours degree. If you are a full-time UK student, you will qualify for student financial support for the full duration of your course (subject to eligibility criteria).

About BSc (Hons) Forensic Anthropology

You will have access to our excellent collections of human skeletal remains, as well as dedicated laboratories for analysing and documenting skeletal material. We also have geophysics equipment for exploring burial contexts, specialist forensic analysis facilities and a scene-of-crime lab. You will also be actively involved in excavating medieval human burial sites in Cheshire.

This is an extremely practical, hands-on programme. It focuses on the recovery of information from locations where bodies are found, as well as the human remains themselves. Fieldwork and practical experience in the osteology labs form a large component of your studies, and you will have the chance to develop your archaeological and anthropological skills working on the Poulton Project in Cheshire.

Course modules

What you will study on this degree

On this BSc degree course you will acquire a solid grounding in human biology and skeletal anatomy, human variation, environmental sciences and forensic techniques to prepare you for a career as a forensic anthropologist.

You will have access to our excellent collections of human skeletal remains, as well as dedicated laboratories for analysing and documenting skeletal material. We also have geophysics equipment for exploring burial contexts, specialist forensic analysis facilities and a scene-of-crime lab.

This is an extremely practical, hands-on programme. It focuses on the recovery of information from locations where bodies are found, as well as the human remains themselves. Fieldwork and practical experience in the osteology labs form a large component of your studies, and you will have the chance to develop your archaeological and anthropological skills working on the Poulton Project in Cheshire.

Further guidance on modules

Modules are designated core or optional in accordance with professional body requirements, as applicable, and LJMU’s Academic Framework Regulations. Whilst you are required to study core modules, optional modules provide you with an element of choice. Their availability may vary and will be subject to meeting minimum student numbers.

Where changes to modules are necessary these will be communicated as appropriate.

Foundation Year

• Skills and Perspectives in Science 1 (20 credits)
• Wildlife Studies (20 credits)
• Skills and Perspectives in Science 2 (20 credits)
• Anatomy and Physiology (20 credits)
• Understanding the Environment (20 credits)
• Building Blocks of Life (20 credits)

Year 1

• Crime Scene Investigation (20 credits)
• Forensic Science (20 credits)
• Genetics and Evolution (20 credits)
• Introduction to Biological Anthropology (20 credits)
• Introduction to Archaeology (20 credits)
• Forensic Field Skills (20 credits)

Year 2

• Forensic Methods (20 credits)
• Human Osteology (20 credits)
• Forensic Human Identification (20 credits)
• Human Anatomy and Genetics (20 credits)
• Excavation and Analytical Techniques (20 credits)

Optional modules

• Trace Evidence Analysis (20 credits)
• World Archaeology (20 credits)
• Sandwich Year - Forensic Anthropology (120 credits)
• Study Year Abroad - Forensic Anthropology (120 credits)
• Study Semester Abroad - Forensic Anthropology (60 credits)

Year 3

• Palaeopathology (20 credits)
• Advanced Forensic Anthropology (20 credits)
• Research Project - Forensic Anthropology (40 credits)

Optional modules

• Advanced Forensic Methods (20 credits)
• Expert Witness (20 credits)
• Forensic Bioscience (20 credits)
• Work-Based Learning (20 credits)
• Forensic Anthropological Genetics (20 credits)
• Forensic Archaeology (20 credits)

Professional accreditation

The degree is accredited by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. A number of our students are student members and representatives for the British Association for Forensic Anthropology (BAFA), members of the British Association for Human Identification (BAHID) and the British Association of Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology (BABAO).

Your Learning Experience

Teaching Support Assessment

Excellent facilities and learning resources

We adopt an active blended learning approach, meaning you will experience a combination of face-to-face and online learning during your time at LJMU. This enables you to experience a rich and diverse learning experience and engage fully with your studies. Our approach ensures that you can easily access support from your personal tutor, either by meeting them on-campus or via a video call to suit your needs.

You will attend lectures, interactive workshops, laboratory sessions, online activities and small-group tutorials. Teaching accounts for approximately 12-15 hours of your week. The rest of your time should be spent in private study with the aid of resources available from our virtual learning environment, Canvas and LJMU Library, so you can learn in your own time, at your own pace. Independent study becomes increasingly important as you work on your research project in your final year.

Work-related learning

Work experience is a vital part of your studies and we strongly recommend that you undertake a 12-month sandwich placement after Level 5, either in the UK or abroad. You will also have the chance to do a short 4-6 week long work-based learning placement before your final year.

Placements not only give you a chance to put what you have learnt into practice, but they also develop your personal and subject-related skills and help you acquire new skills to enhance your CV.

Dedicated personal tutor, plus study skills support

There will be times during your course when you need guidance and advice related to your academic studies or more personal matters. For this reason, you will be allocated a personal tutor, so that you can discuss course material informally as part of a small tutorial group or have one-to-one progress review meetings. You will also be allocated a supervisor for your project or work-related learning, and your year-long placement if you choose the sandwich option.

The school is fully committed to promoting a learning environment that supports a culture of equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) and has a Disability Support Coordinator, an EDI Coordinator and a School EDI Working Group. Personal Tutors also play a vital role in promoting awareness of support services for students.

Assessment varies depending on the modules you choose, but will usually include a combination of exams and coursework.

We understand that all students perform differently according to how they are assessed, which is why we use a combination of assessment methods. These include:

• exams in the form of multiple choice, short answer, interpretative, problem-based learning and essay questions
• coursework, including phase tests, fieldwork/practical reports, data handling, oral presentations, poster presentations, podcasts, online or real-time group discussions, essays or the evaluation of practical skills

As some of the modules are highly practical, they are assessed by coursework only. For the final year research project you will be expected to write a literature review and short scientific write-up. Work-based learning placements are assessed through a reflective diary, portfolio and student presentation.

Constructive feedback is vital in helping you to identify your strengths as well as the areas where you may need to put in more work. This is normally provided within three weeks of submission and may be via Canvas (our virtual learning environment), face-to-face or in writing.

Career paths

During criminal investigations and following mass fatality incidents such as natural disasters and human conflicts, government and non-government organisations recruit forensic anthropologists to assist in the recovery and identification of human remains for repatriation and legal purposes.

Commercial forensic science providers, police departments, universities, museums, industry and government laboratories all recruit graduates. Secondary science teaching is also a popular route. Some graduates have taken their studies further with a master's degree or PhD. The techniques used in forensic anthropology are derived from those used in traditional archaeological excavations and post excavation analysis of human remains. Archaeological units in the UK and abroad are therefore good places to seek employment and many of our graduates go on to become osteoarchaeologists.

If you decide not to pursue a career in forensic anthropology, your transferable skills will enable you to compete in the wider job market, for instance in the allied health sciences, where training in human anatomy and biology is highly valued.

Student Futures - Careers, Employability and Enterprise Service

A wide range of opportunities and support is available to you, within and beyond your course, to ensure our students experience a transformation in their career trajectory. Every undergraduate curriculum includes Future Focus during Level 4, an e-learning resource and workshop designed to help you to develop your talents, passion and purpose.

Every student has access to Careers Zone 24/7, LJMU's suite of online Apps, resources and jobs board via the LJMU Student Futures website.

Tuition fees and funding

Home

• Foundation first year: £9,535
• Second and subsequent years: £9,535
• Placement year: £1,905

International

• Full-time per year: £18,250
• Placement year: £3,910

Entry requirements

Please choose your qualifications below to view requirements

• Grades/points required from qualifications: DDD (72)

Work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth by visiting the UCAS Tariff Calculator.

GCSEs and equivalents

• Grade 4 or grade C or above in English Language and Mathematics/Numeracy.

GCSE Equivalences accepted:

• Key Skills Level 2 in English/Maths
• NVQ Level 2 Functional skills in Maths and English Writing and or Reading
• Skills for Life Level 2 in Numeracy/English
• Higher Diploma in Maths/English
• Northern Ireland Essential Skills Level 2 in Communication or Application of Number
• Wales Essential Skills Level 2 in Communication or Application of Number

A levels

• DDD (72)
• Minimum Number of A Levels: 1
• Maximum AS UCAS Points: 20

BTECs

• Extended Diploma MMP

Access awards

• Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications

International Baccalaureate

• Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications

OCR Cambridge Technical

• Extended Diploma MMP

Irish awards

• Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications

T levels

• Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications.

You need to obtain the required UCAS points from a related subject area.

Further information

• DBS, Occupational Health requirements
• Reduced offer scheme

At LJMU, we are dedicated to widening participation in education. We understand that academic potential isn't always accurately represented by grades alone. Therefore, we consider additional information included in your application. If you meet certain eligibility criteria, we may make an offer lower than our typical entry requirements.

International requirements

• IELTS
  • 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5, taken within two years of the course start date.

Find your country

Please Note: All international qualifications are subject to a qualification equivalency check.