Where to go for Forensic science/investigation?

Son stumbled on a Forensic Science talk while attending Bournemouth Open Day and got really excited about it.

Checked out other universities that offer this course at undergraduate level and there are so many - Kent, Keele, Surrey, Portsmouth, De Monfort... some with more of a science focus, some investigation

We are coming from France, so can't manage to go all over England visiting everywhere :frown:

So are there any recommendations you could make to help narrow this down to, say the top 5? Then we can work on narrowing it down further.

Thank you!!

Reply 1

froberts134

Hi, i'm currently a forensic science student at keele. I'm currently in my first year so have recently had to make the same decisions.

I would say looking at university league tables specifically for the subject is a good place to start, but really it depends on what your son is more interested in whether it is more of an investigation or science focus. I would say looking and reading modules for each university can also help, at least it did for me.
Another thing is to consider the actual location of the university like some are campus (Keele) while others are city. That could help to rule a few unis out.
If you're able to try see if that university offers virtual tours so you can see the area but also the facilities they offer, if not definitely try to get in contact with staff from the course so you can ask questions whether it be about the facilities or actual course content.
Another thing is also entry requirements onto that course, which could possibly help to rule other courses out.

I'm happy to try answer any other questions whether it's about forensic science at keele or just general enqueries.

Reply 2

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Hi there!

As there are so many courses for forensic science in the UK, I'd recommend you and your son having a sit down and decide what he wants to get out of a forensic science degree. For example, would he prefer more of a scientific focus, or an investigative focus?

If you come up with a list of universities that offer forensic science, go through each of those courses on the uni website and note down the entry requirements, as well as the modules that are taught on each programme and go from there. This is honestly quite a long process, but worth it in the end, especially if you can't come over and visit any open days any time soon!

Compare the modules taught for each course, and whether they are core modules or optional. Everyone on the programme will do the core modules, and the options are ones that you get to choose - so if the core modules don't interest him then it might not be worth going there (if that makes sense).

I would also recommend looking at accredited courses for forensics - the main accreditation body for forensic science in the UK is the Chartered Society for Forensic Sciences. To put it simply, if a programme is accredited by them, then it means that the course teaches enough skills to then go onto working in a professional setting. It isn't required that a course be accredited, but if they are then it may help with employability in the future! There are many accredited FS courses in the UK so it doesn't limit the options at all, so would be worth considering that. I've put the link to the CSFS website for the accredited course search below:
https://www.csofs.org/quality-standards/accredited-course-search/

Finally, I would chat with current/past students and see what their experiences have been like at each uni. Many universities will have a 'Chat to a student' feature on their website somewhere. If there isn't an option to speak to a forensics student, then it would still be helpful to chat to any student about what the uni is like, facilities, support services, affordability in the area etc.

Not to add to the long list of courses to look at, but I would also take a quick look at LJMU's forensic courses:

•

BSc (Hons) Forensic Science

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BSc (Hons) Forensic Anthropology

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BSc (Hons) Forensics, Policing and Investigations

I recently graduated from the Forensic Anthropology course and loved it! That would be a great option if he's interested in the more human/biological side of forensics. That and the regular Forensic Science course are both accredited by the CSFS. The Forensics, Policing and Investigations course will be great if he's more interested in the investigations/legal side of forensics. I'll pop the links for each course below to have a look at if either of you are interested:

https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduates/2026/32330-forensic-anthropology-bsc-hons
https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduates/2026/31440-forensic-science-bsc-hons
https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduates/2026/36774-forensics-policing-and-investigations-bsc-hons

I also have a blog post on the difference between Forensic Science and Forensic Anthropology if that's of any interest!
https://link.unibuddy.co/unibuddy/Mhd64FZKzufh1LBQ8

If you'd like any further help or have any questions about my own experiences doing forensics and studying in Liverpool, then you can contact me on LJMU's 'Chat to a student' feature: https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/undergraduate-students/chat-to-a-student

Jorja (LJMU Student Rep)

Reply 3

Jameswai

Original post

by cora06140

Son stumbled on a Forensic Science talk while attending Bournemouth Open Day and got really excited about it.
Checked out other universities that offer this course at undergraduate level and there are so many - Kent, Keele, Surrey, Portsmouth, De Monfort... some with more of a science focus, some investigation
We are coming from France, so can't manage to go all over England visiting everywhere :frown:

So are there any recommendations you could make to help narrow this down to, say the top 5? Then we can work on narrowing it down further.
Thank you!!

I would stay away from Kent Forensic science if you don't like chemistry one of the things coming from a chemistry who went to Kent perspective is that the FS hated the chemistry and maths parts but if I am honest if you wanted to be a anytical chemist or something like that it would prob be good

Reply 4

University of Kent

Official Rep

Original post

by cora06140

Son stumbled on a Forensic Science talk while attending Bournemouth Open Day and got really excited about it.
Checked out other universities that offer this course at undergraduate level and there are so many - Kent, Keele, Surrey, Portsmouth, De Monfort... some with more of a science focus, some investigation
We are coming from France, so can't manage to go all over England visiting everywhere :frown:

So are there any recommendations you could make to help narrow this down to, say the top 5? Then we can work on narrowing it down further.
Thank you!!

Good morning, I hope you are well!

When it comes to Forensic Sciences, the University of Kent is fantastic with their facilities they offer as well as the career prospect and development opportunities too.

The university has a fantastic careers team which are consistently eager and communicative with students to get them experience and internship opportunities. I personally would greatly look into this!

Do not hesitate to reply and ask any questions.

Kind regards, Brandon - Uni of Kent Student Rep

Reply 5

Bmth Uni Goda

Official Rep

Original post

by cora06140

Son stumbled on a Forensic Science talk while attending Bournemouth Open Day and got really excited about it.
Checked out other universities that offer this course at undergraduate level and there are so many - Kent, Keele, Surrey, Portsmouth, De Monfort... some with more of a science focus, some investigation
We are coming from France, so can't manage to go all over England visiting everywhere :frown:

So are there any recommendations you could make to help narrow this down to, say the top 5? Then we can work on narrowing it down further.
Thank you!!

Hey! 👋 I’m really glad to hear your son enjoyed the Forensic Science talk at the BU Open Day. It’s always great when something just clicks like that!

Totally get how overwhelming it can feel trying to compare loads of unis, especially when you’re travelling from outside the UK, which I did myself 🙂. I remember doing all the research from abroad, so I know it can be a lot. I ended up choosing Bournemouth University and I’m really happy with how it’s worked out for me.

One thing that might help is looking at the balance between hands-on practical work vs. lab-based science, because different unis lean slightly differently. BU’s Forensic Science course has quite a strong practical side, especially with scene-of-crime simulations and specialist labs, which is what hooked a lot of students I’ve spoken to.

If it helps give a better feel for what it’s like here, this video gives a little look at the facilities and how students use them: https://youtu.be/-duwjLvQg48?si=tW81pRUjN4_YxTiL.

If you or your son have any questions about life at Bournemouth University in general (accommodation, student life, clubs, what Bournemouth is like), feel free to ask and I'm happy to help 😊