Graduate Certificate in Forensic Science (Professional Practice)

If you have a degree in science, or a relevant bachelor's degree, this course will give you the skills you need to help in criminal investigations. Alternatively, if you are already a Police or Forensic professional, you’ll be able to upskill or attain a university qualification in your field.

Choose any four of eight postgraduate forensic coursework units where you will to reconstruct crime scenes as you learn to collect, process and interpret biological, chemical and physical evidence.

Build your expertise in specimen preparation, sources of contamination, quality assurance, statistical interpretation and the admissibility of evidence as you learn to prepare and deliver courtroom testimony.

Units completed in this course count as course credit for our Graduate Diploma in Forensic Science (Professional Practice), so you can graduate with a Graduate Diploma with just four more units of study. We also offer a 1.5 year Master of Forensics (Professional Practice) that you can use the units completed in this course as credits for as well.

3 reasons to study a Graduate Certificate in Forensic Science at Murdoch

1. Learn to apply real forensic techniques through experiencing multiple crime scene rooms on and off campus. The crime scenes are equipped for different crime scenarios and bloodstain pattern interpretation.
2. Get valuable field experience at our Murdoch University Whitby Falls Farm, where you’ll process a simulated large-scale homicide and a clandestine grave incident for evidence.
3. Take advantage of our strong links with industry including the Western Australia Police, Australian Federal Police, PathWest (Forensic Biology), ChemCentre (Forensic Division), Defence Science and Technology Group, Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC), Western Diagnostic Pathology (forensic toxicology) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

Develop your skills

Build essential skills and knowledge to meet your career or study goals. Topics you’ll cover include:

• Bloodstain pattern analysis
• Chemical criminalistics, including forensic toxicology, trace analysis, illicit drug identification and HAZMAT scenes
• Digital, cyber and emerging forensic disciplines
• Forensic anthropology and archaeology and clandestine grave examination
• Fingerprint and impression evidence

Your future career

You’ll graduate with the specialised skills you need to work with the police, national security and defence or other investigative authorities. Careers could include:

• Crime Scene or Forensic Investigator
• Forensic Biologist
• Forensic Chemist for Police, Fire and Emergency services
• Forensic Analyst
• Forensic Researcher (universities or government organisations)

You could also find work in pathology laboratories (such as toxicology, molecular diagnostics or paternity testing) or set up your own private consultancy.

IELTS: Score: 6.5, with no band less than 6.0.

TOEFL: Score: 79+, with writing 21; speaking 18; reading 13; listening 13.

PEARSON: Score: 64+, with no communicative skill below 60.

CAMBRIDGE: Score: 176+, with no skill less than 169.