Forensic Science with a Professional Placement (BSc (Hons))

This fascinating and challenging course teaches you skills that are attractive to employers in all fields as well as building a professional network through completing a placement year, giving you the best possible start towards your future career. We create simulated crime scenes and conduct major incident exercises where you react in real time to an unfolding event. You can even prepare a case for court and present it at a simulated trial in a realistic court environment. You’ll see how forensic skills can also be applied within archaeology and in the food and pharmaceutical industries. This course is fully accredited by The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.  Reasons to study Forensic Science at Kent Forensic Science at Kent was ranked 3rd in The Complete University Guide 2023.Apply your knowledge and practical skills in our fantastic forensic investigation facilities, which include a crime scene house and vehicles along with industry standard laboratories.Spend a year on professional placement gaining valuable experience before you graduate. It’s also possible to spend a year studying abroad.Our unique courses teach you the science behind the crime scenes, as well as criminal law and specialist modules such as ballistics, DNA analysis and digital forensics.Our Forensic Science degree is accredited by The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. What you'll learn You start by getting to grips with the broad base of knowledge on which forensic science is built, including core chemistry, biochemistry, drug chemistry, and ballistics. You also develop solid investigative and laboratory skills. Next you build on this knowledge to cover analytical chemistry, forensic archaeology, digital forensics, fires and explosions, and firearms. You also are trained in forensic expert witness skills. Our crime scene house helps you to develop your approaches to evidence recording and preservation, and to appreciate the importance of persistence. Extensive use of these practical sessions helps to prepare you for the diverse nature of crime scenes you may encounter in your future career and to develop many transferable skills for the future. See the modules you'll study Professional placement Tailor your degree to suit you with a professional placement where you’ll work in industry for a year, giving you the chance to put into practice the skills you’ve learnt and build important connections. Taken between your second and final years, a professional placement provides an excellent opportunity to gain relevant work experience in industry in the UK or abroad. During your placement you are paid by your employer and produce an independent research project. You can also expand your horizons with our year abroad, where you'll study at one of our partner institutions for a year, or undertake a project with one of our research groups on our four-year MSci programme. Or you can also take our three-year Forensic Science degree, without a year abroad or a professional placement. We also offer a foundation year, giving those without the relevant scientific background, or who don't meet the entry requirements, the knowledge and skills needed to take on any of our Forensic Science degrees.

There are approximately eight one-hour lectures each week, laboratory classes, project work and problem-solving seminars.

Assessment is by a combination of written examinations, continuous assessment and other assignments. You must pass the Stage 1 examinations in order to go on to Stage 2. The year in industry mark also counts towards your final degree result. Coursework assessments include incident analysis, evidence preservation, presentation skills and expert witness testimony.

Please note that there are degree thresholds at stage 1 that you will be required to pass in order to continue onto the next stages.

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

• Core and foundation scientific physical, biological, and chemical concepts, terminology, theory, units, conventions, and laboratory methods in relation to forensic science.
• Areas of chemistry as applied to forensic analysis, and areas of bioscience, including cells, biochemistry, human DNA.
• Numeracy, forensic investigation and interpretation and apply them to forensic examination and analysis.
• Incident investigation, evidence recovery, preservation, and presentation as an expert witness within the judicial environment.

Intellectual Skills

You gain intellectual skills in how to:

• Demonstrate knowledge, understanding and application of essential facts, concepts, principles and theories relating to the subject to find the solution of qualitative and quantitative problems.
• Recognise and analyse novel problems and plan strategies for their solution by the evaluation, interpretation and synthesis of scientific information and data by a variety of computational methods.
• Recognise and implement good measurement science and practice and commonly used forensic laboratory techniques.
• Write essays and present scientific material and arguments clearly and correctly, in writing and orally, to a range of audiences including legal contexts.
• Communicate complex scientific argument to a lay audience.

Subject-specific skills

You gain the following subject-specific skills:

• Safe handling of chemical materials, taking into account their physical and chemical properties, including any specific hazards associated with their use and to risk assess such hazards.
• Conduct of standard laboratory procedures involved in analytical work and in the operation of standard forensic instrumentation.
• Competence in the planning, design and execution of investigations, from the problem-recognition stage through to the evaluation and appraisal of results and findings.
• Safe handling of firearms, ammunition, and propellants; analysis of forensic evidence related to firearms, firearm discharge, and ballistic theory; collision analysis: mathematical interpretation, field application and reconstruction.
• Ability to interpret data derived from laboratory observations and measurements, and to present such data to an examining body in the role of expert witness.

Transferable skills

You gain the following transferable skills:

• Communication skills covering both written and oral communication.
• Self-management and organisational skills with the capacity to support life-long learning.
• Problem-solving skills, relating to qualitative and quantitative information.
• Information-retrieval skills, in relation to primary and secondary information sources.
• IT skills.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Time-management and organisational skills.
• Study skills needed for continuing professional development and preparation for employment as a practicing forensic scientist.
• Ability to function effectively in an industrial or commercial environment.
• Ability to plan and implement independent projects at degree level.

The programme aims to:

• Instil enthusiasm for forensic science, an appreciation of its application in different contexts.
• Provide a broad and balanced foundation of the science and law that underpins forensic practice and methodology in a modern society.
• Develop the ability to apply knowledge and skills to the solution of forensic problems.
• Teach you the use and understanding of a variety of scientific and quantitative techniques applied to forensic science problems.
• Provide a knowledge and skills base from which you can proceed to further studies in the forensic and scientific area or in aspects of chemistry, physics or bioscience that are relevant to forensic and related practices.
• Provide a stimulating, research-active environment for teaching and learning.
• Provide an understanding of scientific methodology and the ability to undertake and report on an experimental investigation.
• Develop your work-related skills and provide experience of workplace culture via a year in industry.
• Generate an appreciation of the importance of forensic science and its practice in a judicial, industrial, economic, environmental and social context, and of the importance of chemistry in an industrial, economic, forensic, and social context.