FdSc Forensic Science

(Wiltshire College and University Centre, Salisbury Campus)

UCAS Code:
413F
Institution:
B50
Delivery:
Full time according to Funding Council definitions

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Delivered at Wiltshire College and University Centre's Salisbury campus, this course will prepare you to work in a forensics or related environment. At the end of the two years study you will have sufficient vocational skills and knowledge to start work; however an additional third year on a top-up course to achieve a full BSc degree would place all your knowledge and skills developed to good use in the scientific field.

If you do not meet the entry requirements for the FdSc, you can opt to take a foundation year in applied science before progressing on to the FdSc Forensic Science. The number of students at any one year will be relatively small so all students will have maximum support from each module and personal tutor. You will be required to research current topics in your area of study and a specific module has been designed in the first year to help you understand how best to achieve this.

There is no work placement requirement, although there is a Work Related Project in year 2 of the FdSc which may require you to liaise with a local company or organisation on a real-world project.

Overall, the course is intended to produce students who are ‘fit for work’ with the theoretical and practical knowledge you will need in the forensic field.

Interested in studying this course part-time? Enquire now.

Image description — Wiltshire college life science facilities 1

Key information

Next start date:

September 2021, September 2022

Location:

Wiltshire College and University Centre, Salisbury

Duration:

FdSc 2 years full-time, 3 years part-time, or with foundation year 3 years full-time, 5 years part-time

Entry requirements:

For September 2021 entry:

FdSc: 48 UCAS Tariff Points (normally to include Biology), e.g. 2Es or 1C at A Level or an AVCE Double Award at EE or BTEC / City and Guilds National Technical Diploma. For more information check out our full entry requirements.

FdSc with foundation year: 32 UCAS Tariff Points and 3 GCSEs in English, Science and Maths (grade C/4) or equivalent.

International entry requirements:

For September 2021 entry: If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS (Academic) 6.0 with 5.5 in each component or equivalent. For more information check out our International entry requirements.

Course Details

Students will be given the opportunity to participate in lectures and workshops, plan and deliver presentations to their peers, research areas of relevance to the degree programme, critically evaluate the validity and implications of information and work with a wide variety of Applied Science hardware and software.

Details of the assessment methods and contact hours for each unit of the course can be found in the programme specification.

Download the programme specification FdSc (pdf 401kb)Download the programme specification FdSc with foundation year

Foundation year

Foundations in Biology: This unit provides the necessary skills and knowledge to gain an understanding of some of the key principles in biology and microbiology. Essential biological practical skills and techniques are built into the practical aspects of the module which supports the theoretical subject material.
Foundations in Chemistry: This unit provides the necessary skills and knowledge to gain a fundamental knowledge of organic, inorganic and physical chemistry. Essential chemical operations such as mole calculations and developing chemical formula will be incorporated into the practical aspects where basic chemical techniques will be introduced.
Mathematical Science Skills: This unit will give you confidence in mathematics allowing you to perform calculations on a range of scientific data and to be able to represent the findings in an appropriate format including graphs. To carry this out, it is essential to be able to convert the data between systems of units and to understand how to present very large and very small numbers in standard form. Basic statistical analysis of tabulated data will be carried out to introduce the concept of confidence limits.
Practical Science: This unit will increase your confidence in identifying suitable scientific practical techniques in order to carry out a wide variety of chemical, biological and physical practical tasks. You will develop your practical scientific skills across chemistry and biology to achieve given outcomes whilst working safely.

FdSc Year 1

Introduction to the Forensic Process and Law: This module will provide students with an overview of selected branches of forensic science which includes methodologies used in human identification, the investigation of suspicious deaths, road traffic collisions, blood pattern analysis, entomology, anthropology, geoscience and ballistics, main specialist branches and use of forensic science within criminal investigation.
Fundamental Chemistry: This module provides the underpinning knowledge and skills necessary for a scientist which are studied in greater depth in the remainder of the modules for this programme.
Practical Laboratory Skills: This module will provide you with confidence in identifying suitable scientific practical techniques in order to carry out a wide variety of chemical and biological practical tasks.
Mathematics for Science: This module will provide you with confidence in performing calculations on a range of scientific data and to be able to represent the findings in an appropriate format including graphs.
Academic Writing Skills: This module prepares you for producing extended pieces of writing on scientific topics using the conventional format that shows clarity and consistency.
Essential Biology and Physiology: This module provides you with an understanding of basic cell structures and an awareness of different cell types and relates the structure and activities of cell components to their functions and to cellular activities.

FdSc Year 2

Professional Development Portfolio: This module places the emphasis on the practical approaches towards students’ personal development planning and self-assessment.
Criminal Investigation Protocols and Procedures: This module will encompass criminal investigations, the role of detectives and the structure of criminal investigation departments.
Work Related Project: This module allows you to undertake a period of 200 hours of work related learning enabling them to complete a project relevant to the workplace.
Forensic Evidence and the Legal System: This module aims to link the forensic evidence that may be permissible in a court of law to the legal system in England and Wales.
Forensic and Criminal Psychology: This module aims to inform you of the different types of offender profiling that is used to guide criminal investigations and the cases where the investigating officers have been misinformed by the psychologist.
Forensic Analytical Methods: This module will provide you with a variety of analytical tools by which to analyse chemical substances found at typical crime scenes.

Programme specification

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

Your application

For this course we are looking for applicants who:

Have a strong interest in science
Are looking to develop a career in a scientific field.

Applicants should either be young learners aged from 18 to 21 who have not engaged in post-16 education but whose experience since leaving full-time education may have helped to equip them for further study.

Applicants aged over 21 who are mature learners with no formal qualifications or learners with A Levels (or equivalent) which were obtained more than three years ago are welcome to apply.

How to apply

Selection methods

How we assess your application

Our offer making process

Our offer-making will typically be based on your most recent qualifications, including any required subjects where applicable. We'll consider all qualifications when assessing your application, although these may not be part of our offer.

If you do not meet the criteria of your original offer, we may still offer you a place. We will review your whole application and consider all academic qualifications (including those not in the offer) to see if you have the academic potential to succeed on the course. If we feel the answer is yes, we will confirm your place.

Entry requirements

FdSc entry requirements

We use the UCAS Tariff to show our entry requirements and will accept a combination of grades from your qualifications. You can use the UCAS calculator to see how your qualifications equate to tariff points.

For September 2021 entry: 48 UCAS Tariff Points (normally to include Biology), e.g. 2Es or 1C at A Level or an AVCE Double Award at EE or BTEC / City and Guilds National Technical Diploma.

GCSEs: Additionally, candidates will normally be expected to present passes at Grade C or above in at least three other subjects (Double or Triple Science) at GCSE level or equivalent; passes at Grade C and above in English and Mathematics will be normally expected.

We also accept iGCSEs, Key Skills and Functional Skills and other qualifications at Level 2 of the National Qualifications Framework. See all the equivalencies.

Learning through experience demonstrated in portfolios or records of achievement and / or by specific learning tasks set at interview and confirmed by employer reference(s).

A combination of academic and experiential learning to be considered on its individual merits.

Applicants are required to demonstrate a set of basic skills required to fulfil the demands of the programme:

An ability to express themselves in written English.
Basic numerical skills.
A basic understanding of science.

These skills should be demonstrated at levels equivalent to GCSE grades A - C. To this end, applicants may offer:

GCSE, GCE or CSE results.

And / Or

Results of appropriate BTEC or Access programmes to science courses.

And / Or

An accredited record of using these skills in employment.

Other useful information

Apprenticeships: We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship recognised by the Institute for Apprenticeships. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Deferred entry: We are happy to consider eligible applicants for deferred entry. If you have already submitted your application, you can request a deferral by contacting our Admissions Team.

Direct entry: We welcome applications from students who have previously studied at degree level at other institutions and wish to transfer onto a BU course. Our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) procedure enables credit awarded from one institution to contribute to a BU award, subject to an application process. Please contact our Future Students Enquiry Team for more information.

Mature applicants: We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

Foundation year entry requirements

For September 2021 entry: 32 UCAS Tariff Points and 3 GCSEs in English, Science and Maths at grade C (4) or equivalent.

We also accept iGCSEs, Key Skills and Functional Skills and other qualifications at Level 2 of the National Qualifications Framework. See all the equivalencies.

Applicants without traditional qualifications are encouraged to apply. We will consider relevant personal and professional experience where it demonstrates an ability to succeed on the course.

International entry requirements

For September 2021 entry:

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students’ page.

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you can understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.0 or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

If you do not meet the English language requirement for your degree then why not join our Pre-Sessional English course. Successful completion of our Pre-Sessional English course will meet your English language requirement.

Costs and fees

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per year. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course. You can find full information about funding your studies and paying your fees in our undergraduate fees and funding section. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise.

Further study

Once you have completed your course, you can move on to a top-up degree or the final year of an undergraduate honours degree to achieve the next level of qualification.

Graduates may apply to progress onto the final year of an honours degree or top-up degree at Bournemouth University, at a BU partner college or another institution, subject to a suitable course being offered, places being available and applicants obtaining the University's required entry criteria.

For entry onto a Bournemouth University top-up degree, you will be assessed on your overall mark (there may be a minimum requirement), your performance on the foundation degree and where appropriate an interview with the programme coordinator.

View our top-up degrees webpage

Course staff

Claire Eggleton – Lecturer in Uniformed Public Services

Claire has been lecturing in the FE and HE sector for nearly nine years delivering units for Uniformed Public Services from level 1 to HNC/HND level working with both BTEC and NCFE. In addition to her teaching, Claire works as an examiner and standards verifier for Pearson.

Claire came into education from a public service background having worked for Wiltshire Police for 20 years. She held several positions during this time including Crime Prevention Officer, Control Room Operator, Enquiry Officer and finally Architectural Liaison Officer and served as a Special Constable for six years. Since leaving the police, Claire has completed an Honours degree in Social Policy and Criminology as well as teaching qualifications and more recently a Masters degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Having a pragmatic criminology background coupled with her academic qualification in his field has allowed Claire to become an innovative teacher who has been recognised for her strong and varied skill set when supporting, enabling and encouraging learners.

Lily Raynor – Lecturer in Public Services

Lily has delivered teaching in FE and HE for 4 years particularly in Psychology and Criminology at Wiltshire College and University Centre. She has designed and lead on a HE course whilst working with adult FE students who are aiming to enter HE within various pathways. Lily studied BA (Hons) Criminology at the University of the West of England and subsequently has studied an MSc Criminology and Criminal Psychology at Portsmouth University alongside her teaching.

Louise Woodward – Lecturer in Mathematics

Louise graduated from university with a Mathematics honours degree and then completed a Postgraduate Certificate of Education which enabled her to fulfil her ambition of becoming a Mathematics Teacher. Louise spent several years working in a secondary school in Bath where she taught a full range of ages and abilities including A-Level before taking a career break to raise her children and help run her family business and smallholding. During this time, she also took on roles as an Exam Marker and School Governor.

Since returning to education at Wiltshire College and University Centre, she has taught a Further Education Mathematics study programme and has implemented and taught two higher level courses.

All statistics shown throughout this page are taken from Unistats, Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE), BU institutional data and Ipsos MORI (National Student Survey) unless otherwise stated.