Program Overview

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Forensic Science (with Foundation Year), BSc (Hons)

Attendance

Full-time

Campus

Preston Campus

Start

September 2025

Duration

4 years

UCAS Code

F556

Delivery

In-person

Placement option

On our Forensic Science (with foundation year) course you’ll get a grounding in the kinds of skills you’ll need if you want to become a forensic scientist or a crime scene investigator.

Why study with us

• 1st in the North West for research quality
• 2nd in the UK for student satisfaction
• 3rd in the UK for overall score
• 3rd in the UK for student experience

What you’ll do

• Enhance your practical skills with a variety of hands-on Biology and Chemistry laboratory sessions and Physics workshops.
• Learn all about crime scene investigation, including fingerprint recovery and identification, and the recovery and analysis of trace evidence such as hairs, fibres and bodily fluids.
• On the full course you’ll get to examine evidence at simulated crime scenes inside our very own crime houses on campus.

Modules

Foundation year

• Chemistry
• Mathematics
• Essential Science Skills
• Biological Sciences
• Skills for Science
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physical Sciences
• Biochemistry
• Environmental Science

Year 1

• Crime Scene Science
• Academic Skills
• Bodies of Evidence
• Forensic Laboratory Analysis
• Forensic Scientific Principles

Year 2

• Forensic Casework
• Professional Practice
• Research for Forensic Investigators
• Major Crimes - The Evidence
• Molecular Biology
• Forensic Chemical Analysis
• Forensic Anthropology

Year 3

• The Interpretation of Forensic Evidence
• Forensic Science Dissertation
• Death Sciences
• Forensic Toxicology and Chemical Investigations
• Forensic Genetics
• Applied Forensic Anthropology: Taphonomy and Human Remains Recovery
• Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT)

Entry requirements

• UCAS: 64 points at A2 including Chemistry or Biology or Applied Science
• BTEC Extended Diploma: MPP including Science
• BTEC Diploma: MM
• International Baccalaureate Diploma: Pass including 64 points from Higher Level subjects including Biology or Chemistry
• T Level: P (D or E) including Chemistry or Biology or Applied Science
• IELTS: grade 6.0 with no component lower than 5.5
• GCSEs: 5 at Grade C including Maths and English grade C/4 or equivalent

Fees and funding

• UK: £9,535 for the first year
• International: £17,250 for the first year

Scholarships and bursaries

• Care Leaver Bursary
• Estranged student support
• Dependants Bursary
• Foundation Year Bursary

Learning and assessment

We use a diverse range of teaching methods including lectures, small-group tutorials, computer-based learning, laboratory classes and practical workshop sessions.

Industry links

Guest speakers from across the industry are brought in to talk about other areas including law, ballistics and DNA.

Alumni from our courses visit and talk to you about their chosen career path and how to succeed in the profession.

Further information

When you progress to our full BSc (Hons) Forensic Science degree you’ll have access to some fantastic facilities, including our crime scene houses, a vehicle examination bay, and a blood spatter pattern analysis suite. There are also well-equipped laboratories on campus and an extensive collection of human skeletons. Our Analytical Suite is equipped with cutting-edge instrumentation, such as electron microscopes and inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometers. We also have laboratories dedicated to biology, entomology and anthropology.