Forensic Science, MSc

Staffordshire University, the United Kingdom

Study options for this course

The award	How you will study	Study duration	Course start	Domestic course fees	International course fees
MSc	Part-time	3 years	September	GBP 2040	find out

About Forensic Science, MSc - at Staffordshire University

Access to Crime House and specialist laboratories
Distance learning replaces lectures
Teaching staff have wide range of relevant skills and experience

This course is designed for those with a first degree in either forensic science or another science subject (ideally chemistry or biology but other degrees are also acceptable) who want to further their knowledge and experience of forensic science.

The full time MSc has two practical modules which run over 4 weeks in the summer. This is followed by the practical work for the project which takes 6 weeks.

The part-time distance learning MSc is completed in 3 years including your dissertation. There are two-week long residential practical programmes, held at our Stoke-on-Trent campus at the end of Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma stages of study. These workshops enable you to put your learning into practice and gain valuable experience in our state-of-the-art laboratories, crime scene house and mock courtroom facilities.

The MSc dissertation completes your study. This is an independent research project which will usually be undertaken, at least in part, in our state of the art specialist facilities.

Course Fees and Finance

The expected study pattern on this programme enables you to complete modules totalling 60 credits in your first year of study and the other 120 credits, split equally over your second and third year of study. If you follow this pattern of study you will pay a fee of £2,040 for your first year in 2017/18. The fee for your second and third year of study will be broadly the same, except that an inflationary uplift may apply.* You will be invoiced for the modules that you register for each year, so if your study pattern is different from the expected pattern, you will pay more or less each year accordingly.

If you would like to know more about the fees listed and what this means to you then please get in touch with our Enquiries Team.

* The fees listed are for the 2017/18 academic year only. Any subsequent years may be subject to an inflationary uplift.

Alumni Discount: If you have previously completed an undergraduate degree with us, you may be entitled to 15% off your course fee for any subsequent postgraduate taught course. For further information please contact Graduate Relations.'

Postgraduate Loans:

Providing you are studying towards a full Masters qualification you may be able to apply for a loan of up to £10,280 to help with tuition fees, maintenance and other associated costs. You won't have to start repaying the loan until you are earning more than (currently) £21,000 per year.

Course content

These courses build upon your previous experience in the biological, chemical or forensic sciences to develop your ability to analyse evidence in a myriad of forms. The emphasis is on accuracy, accountability and thoroughness, with the ultimate aim of providing results and interpretation for use by a court of law. The theory is delivered using Blackboard, an online virtual learning environment. This provides the flexibility of studying at your own pace and from any location in the world. Whilst using Blackboard, you will interact with other students on the course through online discussion groups and receive excellent support from tutors via e-mail or phone.

The Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma courses are, respectively, the first third and first two thirds of the MSc course. At Postgraduate Certificate level, the emphasis is on the crime scene, specifically the collection, packaging and analysis of evidence such as fingermarks, footwear marks, documents, hairs, fibres and glass. Those continuing on to the Postgraduate Diploma will then change the emphasis of their studies to the chemical and biological analysis of evidence in forensic laboratories. During the Diploma, you will learn about a host of techniques, from the interpretation of blood spatter evidence to the analysis of illicit drugs, and from DNA profiling to the analysis of fire accelerants and drugs. The Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma stages of study each end in a two-week long residential practical programme, held at our Stoke-on-Trent campus. These summer workshops enable you to put your learning into practice and gain valuable experience in our state-of-the-art laboratories, crime scene house and mock courtroom facilities.

MSc students continue their studies beyond the Postgraduate Diploma stage, allowing specialisation in an aspect of forensic science. To complete the MSc, you will undertake a independent research project in an area either suggested by yourself or by choosing a title from a list of topics. In this work, the emphasis is on initiative and originality in the analysis and interpretation of results. The experimental part will usually be undertaken at our Stoke-on-Trent campus but, by agreement, could be based at the learner's place of work or at a local institute.

Entry requirements

Minimum 2:2 BSc (Hons) degree in a biological, chemical or forensic science discipline or equivalent and/or accredited professional qualifications or vocational experience in relevant areas.

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Study options for this course

About Forensic Science, MSc - at Staffordshire University

Entry requirements

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