Biological and Forensic Sciences BSc (Hons)

Course overview

You can expect to tackle a wide variety of challenges, ranging from developing new techniques to address the spread of infectious diseases, to using practical problem-solving skills to analyse evidence from crime scenes and bring justice to victims of crime.

The course aims to:

• enable you to apply critical thinking skills to assess and solve problems in biological and forensic sciences, considering different perspectives and ethical approaches
• develop your knowledge and understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of human health and disease, and of forensic science, including the criminal justice system processes and investigative practice
• provide a broad and varied educational experience, with experiential learning including a wide range of community and international contexts, and multidisciplinary real-world problems.

The January start for this course is condensed in Year 1. Please see the ‘How you’ll learn’ section below for more details.

Why you should study this course

• A teaching team of multi-disciplinary experts from various subjects, including biologists, chemists, pharmacologists, toxicologists, forensic scientists, investigators and lawyers who bring their research and practical experiences into their teaching (staff are subject to change).
• Hands-on practical experience in the Superlab+, the immersive crime scene simulation houses, and the outdoor search and decomposition facilities, so that you can walk confidently into a graduate job knowing that you have already used some of the same equipment used in hospital, commercial, police and research laboratories⁴.
• A 3D printing lab where you can learn to design and 3D-print your own creations⁴.
• Visits from expert guest lectures from professionals in their field, who provide insight into the numerous employability options available².
• Opportunities to study international cold cases and take a global approach to your studies with collaborative online projects and the possibility of international field trips².

If you choose to start this course in January you will study exactly the same course but over a slightly shorter timescale in Year 1. This is ideal if you missed the September start, want to transfer from a different university or course or just need a bit more time to prepare for life at university.

Careers and opportunities

Highly multi-disciplinary in its approach, the course brings together a wide range of key subjects. In biology, the course explores areas like biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, immunology, human physiology, and microbiology. Forensic science topics covered include blood spatter, fingerprints, toxicology, anthropology and taphonomy. This combination of the two subjects is unique in the field and gives our graduates a broad perspective that can be very appealing to employers.

Graduates also gain hands-on experience of DNA profiling, as well as the digital fluency with databases and bioinformatics that underpins both areas of science. Students graduate with the knowledge to tackle challenges such as stopping the spread of disease, improving public health, as well as the practical skills and abilities to analyse, interpret and present evidence. This side specialism in forensic sciences also provides excellent tangible evidence of problem-solving, critical thinking, anti-contamination technique, good record-keeping, teamwork, interpersonal skills and professionalism.

Our graduates are equipped to pursue a wide range of careers. The extensive biology content supports employment in biological research and industry, including pharmaceutical, microbiology or food quality-testing laboratories, as well as medical and scientific equipment sales. The forensic science elements further broaden employment options, to include DNA analyst, DNA reporting officer and forensic scientist jobs. The multi-disciplinary course prepares graduates for a wide range of careers, such as data analysis, scientific writing and teaching roles.