Which biology or forensics course to pick?

I'm looking at courses in biology, biomedical science, or forensic biology—ideally outside Northern Ireland. I like practical lab work and am curious about crime/TV dramas too. If you had similar interests or picked between these, what made you choose your course or uni? 😊

Diggory the AI Uni Coach helped write this post

Reply 1

UniofReading

Official Rep

Original post

by SMCG088

Good afternoon,

Choosing a course is a very personal decision, so I recommend using the Whatuni website for 'Find A Course', as they have a comprehensive list with reviews. Similarly, the UCAS website offers tips on comparing undergraduate courses and universities, which is a great way to narrow down your choices.

It is always best to choose a course that seems most interesting to you, as you will be studying it for at least three years, so you want to enjoy the content. Then, if you enjoy the occupation, you will most likely want to continue your career in his chosen field. If you look at the module descriptions for each course, you will be able to see what the courses teach you. Then you can determine if you're interested in learning about that specific subject area. You can see the University of Reading courses here: BSc Biological Sciences, BSc Biomedical Science , Criminology,BSc Psychology with Criminology, BSc Sociology and Criminology, and many more courses on Right Courses for you.

The University of Reading offers an ambassador scheme, allowing prospective students to connect with current students through messaging; more information can be found here. I recommend reaching out to our ambassadors and reviewing the course reviews and modules. This should help you come to an informed decision.

All the best,
Ella
BSc Ecology

Reply 2

University of Sheffield Students

Official Rep

Original post

by SMCG088

Hi @SMCG088,

Great course options! I am currently studying BSc Biomedical Science at the University of Sheffield. What made me pick Biomedical Science? The course appealed to me due to its broadness in terms of career prospects and learning material. I have always been fascinated by biology, particularly its impact on humans. After conducting some research, I discovered Biomedical Science and realised it was the right fit for me. I also originally looked into narrower courses, such as reproductive biology; however, I was worried that this would be too narrow, as I still wanted the option to explore. I am very glad I chose Biomedical Science instead, as it has definitely given me this opportunity.

My best advice would be to study in an area that interests you the most, as you want to enjoy your time learning. I would also research careers you can access with your chosen degree and see if that helps narrow it down.

I have linked the specific course I am currently studying at the University of Sheffield HERE, as I have had a fantastic time with a vast range of learning opportunities and exposure to science. Other than lab work, what other aspects attract you to Biomed?

Best of luck with your decision! 😀

Mia
BSc Biomedical Science
University of Sheffield

Reply 3

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Hi there!

I didn't end up doing a biological degree but I feel we may have had similar interests! When looking for uni courses I wasn't sure what to do because I was interested in both Human Biology/Anatomy and Forensics - so somewhat similar to you!

I ended up stumbling across Forensic Anthropology through watching Bones, which kind of mashed both of my interests together, and I absolutely loved it! I grew up watching crime drama and documentaries so always loved the idea of forensics (Abby from NCIS style 🤣) but was always interested in human biology or anatomical sciences - I really enjoyed biology at school but wasn't as interested in the plant sciences aspect of classes.

With Forensic Anth, I was able to do all the CSI modules and learn core forensic skills like fingerprinting, crime scene analysis, evidence and documentation, blood stain analysis, testing for trace evidence as well as identifying different substances and body fluids. These modules were all shared with the Forensic Science course at LJMU, and when they had Forensic Chemistry and research modules, Forensic Anthropology did genetics, anatomy and osteology modules so I ended up getting the best of both worlds 😁

Obviously I'm not trying to recruit you to Forensic Anthropology because you seem to have some great options for yourself already, but if it did pique your interest then you can get more info here: https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduates/2026/32330-forensic-anthropology-bsc-hons

Your options all seem pretty hands on and practical too so that's ideal - I would work out which aspects of biology you prefer the most to learn, as most biology or biological science courses will have similar modules but may overall have a larger focus on human biology or plant biology etc.

I'd also consider what you want your end goal to be? As biology and forensic bio can lead to similar career paths but biomed can take you in a completely other direction. If you want to become a BMS then you'd have to look at IBMS accredited Biomedical Science degrees, and likely wouldn't be able to go into that with a Biology degree (or at least there would be a lot more training involved beforehand!). If you're interested in going into forensic work, then you'd be able to do that by doing forensic bio or even just biology and getting into forensics as a Masters?

I hope that was helpful/interesting and gave you some ideas of what to think about!
Also, if you haven't already, then I definitely recommend giving Bones a watch 🥰

Jorja (LJMU Student Rep)

(edited 3 weeks ago)