Forensic investigation crosses the boundaries of science, policing and law; you’ll experience the full journey from crime scene to courtroom on this course.

How to apply Apply through UCAS Book an Open Day Chat to Us

[Button: 2026][Button: 2027]

## Key Course Details

### [Button: 3 Years Full-time ]

* #### UCAS Code

* #### Start Date

September

* #### Location

Pontypridd

* #### Campus Code

#### Fees

* #### Home students

* #### International students

* Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.

### [Button: 4 Years Sandwich ]

In this section

* Overview

* Module Overview

* Course Highlights

* Entry Requirements

Make an Enquiry

The only way to gain the broad and dynamic skillset needed to solve crimes is through practical experience. Our Forensic Investigation BSc prepares you for action in the CSI world as you investigate simulated crime scenes, use industry standard lab equipment and give evidence as an expert witness.

## DESIGNED FOR

If you love watching shows like CSI and think it’d be the greatest job in the world, then this is the course for you. It’s also ideal if you have a background in traditional science and want to develop and apply your skills in a fascinating and ever-evolving field that helps to safeguard society.

### Accredited by

* The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences

### Career Paths

* Crime scene unit

* Forensic investigation unit

* Wider criminal justice sector

* Digital forensics

* Further study

### Skills taught

* Crime scene evidence analysis and interpretation

* Science laboratory techniques

* Problem solving in science, mathematics and data analysis

* Project management and leadership

* Confident communication skills

We make a difference in practice, not just on paper. Our courses are designed by people who offer jobs - and taught by people who have real work experience.

Image: A student dressed in a white hazard suit and another in a yellow hazard suit, both wearing blue face coverings, place markers around a pretend body in the Treforest crime scene house. Another student in a white hazard suit takes photos as part of a mock crime scene.

Image: A video thumbnail for the video

Image: A thumbnail for the video

Image: A close up of science equipment in a lab

Image: A student with long blond hair and wearing a white, sterile hazard suit and purple sterile gloves handles a plastic tube for containing evidence while smiling outside the crime scene house in Glyntaff with police tape cordoning off the driveway in the background

Image: A video thumbnail showing a student with the text

Image: An exterior shot of Glyntaff campus.

## Course Highlights

### Top accreditation

Professionally accredited by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences, a leading global forensic association.

### Outstanding facilities

Train in our crime scene house and excavation site, courtroom, and industry standard labs.

### Real-world experience

Develop your skills and experience with the techniques and equipment you’ll use to solve crimes for real.

### Industry connections

Benefit from knowledge and connections with key industry roles, and meet future employers at events.

## Module Overview

[Button: Overview][Button: Year One][Button: Year Two][Button: Year Three]

Learn how to solve crimes through simulated scenarios and practical lab work. Develop skills in crime scene investigation and the analysis of evidence, and further your knowledge of the structure and processes that regulate the criminal justice system and criminal investigation laws.

Year one

Introduction to Forensic Analysis

Introduction to Crime Scene Investigation

Forensic Awareness

Fundamental Scientific Principles for Forensic Investigation

Key Skills for Forensic Science*

Exploring Crime and Deviance

*25% of this module can be studied in Welsh

Year two

Analysis and Interpretation of Evidence

Volume Scene Examination

Forensic Examination of Human Remains

Digital Forensics (e-crime)

Unmasking Violent Crime

Science in Practice for Forensic Investigation

Year Three

Research Project and Employability Skills

Forensic Casework and the Expert Witness

Application of Forensic Specialisms

Criminal Investigation

Investigation of Serious and Organised Crime

Major Scene Examination

A comprehensive introduction to the key disciplines of forensic science. You’ll get a grounding in core scientific and mathematical theories and legal processes, but also spend plenty of time in the lab and the bespoke crime scene house for early hands-on investigative practice.

Blending theory and lab-based training, learn the fundamentals of evidence processing inc. search and recovery, basic microscopy and chemical testing, and case notes.

Study investigative techniques and processes including collecting, preserving, documenting, and interpreting evidence, and crime scene reconstruction.

Learn the legislative and criminal justice system of England and Wales. Examine the value of evidence in court and how it fits within criminal investigations.

Learn and apply basic concepts in chemistry, molecular biology, DNA, plus scientific investigation, measurement and accuracy.

Learn the principles of safe working in labs, accident prevention, and the consequences of hazard exposure. Calculate the probability of accidents to estimate risk.

Explore how crime is socially, culturally and historically constructed, and examine the relationship between crime and power, poverty, wealth and status.

Enhance your skills through more detailed analysis of evidence in the lab and delve into specialist disciplines like forensic Earth science, computer forensics and microscopy. Expand your crime scene investigation skills, including photographing and videoing simulated scenes.

Develop skills analysing, interpreting and presenting particulate and biological trace evidence using sector-standard instrumentations, processes and documentation.

Develop CSI core practices and learn to record simulated crime scenes like burglaries, car theft and criminal damage through photography, video and digital imaging.

Explore the unique challenges of discovering, recovering and analysing human remains, from search techniques to post-mortem, odontology and facial reconstruction.

Develop a range of cybercrime tools and techniques to recover computer forensic evidence; follow the processes needed to manage a forensic project from seizure to trial.

Delve into the dynamics of violence. Explore the root causes and consequences of violence through theoretical frameworks, empirical research, and real-world case studies.

Explore spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques. Examine drugs and alcohol in sports doping, hair analysis, counterfeit products, and serology.

Explore more complex forensic investigation areas such as fires, explosions and major crime scenes. Master crime scene processing, evidence handling and courtroom processes via complex simulated cases and carry out an independent literature review demonstrating your knowledge.

Evaluate primary information and data from a select topic within forensic science. Prepare for the real world by practicing interviews and building your CV.

Take on a complex simulated case demonstrating your teamwork, critical thinking, and capabilities, culminating in a simulated courtroom cross-examination.

Learn from the best with this guest-speaking series. Topics may vary each delivery year and will be focused on your preference and new emerging trends within forensic science.

Learn how a case is built and progressed to reach the courtroom. Evaluate the processes involved, and analyse how such incidents could be prevented in the future.

Examine serious and organised crime from an investigative perspective. Develop an understanding of legislation, policy, and process for specific offences.

Show mastery of forensic criminal investigation processes and techniques as you manage simulated major scene scenarios like suspicious deaths, assaults, and firearms offences.

### How you'll learn

The course has a strong practical focus. From the start, you’ll spend lots of time in the lab and investigating simulated crime scenes. As you progress, you’ll work on a wider range of scenarios and deliver evidence in our simulated courtroom – you’ll experience the full case journey. There is some classroom-based theory work, but there are no formal exams.

Your written work relates to the reporting you’ll do in real life, and assessment focuses on practical skills and decision-making, including your group project dissertation. The dynamic curriculum adapts in line with industry trends, and employability skills are embedded in every module.

### Teaching staff

Over the last three years, one of our core staff has won a student award for Best Lecturer/Course Leader/Supervisor across the entire university – a testament to the support we provide. Their expertise includes senior CSI Manager roles at police forces across England and Wales. The wider analytical and forensic science team includes specialist forensic science practitioners, experts in DNA and bloodstain pattern analysis, experts in forensic toxicology, crime scene investigators and chartered chemists.

Some staff are also previous students here, so they understand how to support you and contribute to the strong community feel within our course.

### Placements and work experience

### Facilities

Our facilities set our course apart and you’ll be able to get stuck in right from the start. Our multi-room ‘crime scene house’ and excavation area give you hands-on experience managing crime scenes and gathering all manner of evidence. The recently installed surveillance equipment enables lecturers to observe you and provide live feedback.

You have use of the George Knox laboratories where you’ll use the full range of industry-standard equipment and instruments including organic and inorganic chemistry labs, spectrometers, microscopes, and chromatographs. It’s all based at the Glyntaff campus – green and open with a community atmosphere.

## Student Stories

Image: Forensic Science student, Jakob,sat at a desk in the labs on Glyntaff campus

Becoming a CSI thanks to USW's practical course

Forensic Investigation student

Image: Emma smiles for a photograph, wearing a green jumper

Juggling University with the demands of a family

Emma Barrett

Image: Graduate Emily wearing a lab coat at her workplace

Enjoying a varied career in Forensics

Emily Rees

Forensic Science graduate

Image: A biological science student wearing a white lab coat, smiling at the camera in a bright, modern laboratory filled with scientific equipment and models.

A supportive community in Biomedical Science

Ella Mugford

Biomedical Science student

Image: clare wilkie collecting lion samples

From labs in South Wales to lions and leopards in South Africa

Clare Wilkie

## Accreditations and partnerships

Image Accredited by

## Careers and Employability

[Button: Graduate careers ][Button: Careers support ][Button: Possible career paths ][Button: Sandwich years]

### Graduate careers

This course gives you the academic, vocational and personal skills to hit the ground running in crime scene and forensic investigation units. Many graduates secure positions while still studying their final year. We have many alumni who’ve progressed within South Wales Police, with Avon and Somerset and London forces also popular options.

Forensic lab analysts and CSI roles are the most typical routes, but the aptitudes you develop prepare you well for wider roles within criminal justice and other industries.

### Careers support

The best way we support you in securing your desired job is by giving you real experience in the techniques, tasks, and processes you’ll carry out daily. But we also provide specific employability skills embedded within almost every module, covering everything from how to network and market yourself through to interview technique.

Our Science Futures event introduces you to employers where you can identify potential routes forge relationships, and meet alumni who can share specific advice on how to achieve your goals. You’ll also have access to a dedicated team within USW’s Careers Service.

### Possible career paths

Our close industry links ensure course material is at the forefront of the latest developments. South Wales Police assess and validate our course, while Cardiff-based Cansford Labs validate the forensic side. Our Science Futures events host representatives from those organisations, as well as other local police forces, the British Transport Police, BBI Solutions, and more.

Our Forensic Seminar Series involves extra-curricular lectures showcasing professionals working within the field of Forensic Investigation, while regular guest lectures explore topics including fire investigation, ballistics cases and identification of bodies from mass graves.

Learn more about sandwich years

### Sandwich years

A sandwich year enables you to apply the knowledge gained during your degree to real-world work situations. You’ll equip yourself with a transferable skillset and gain invaluable work experience that will help you to stand out to potential employers in future job applications. A sandwich year also provides a fantastic opportunity to network and, if you impress your employer, you may even find you have a job waiting for you when you graduate.

Many employers like to take on dedicated employees as showcased via a sandwich year placement scheme.

## ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

## 104 UCAS Points (or above)

### Typical qualification requirements:

* A Level: BCC

* Welsh BACC: Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BC at A Level

* BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Merit Merit

* Access to HE: Pass the Access to HE Diploma and obtain a minimum of 104 UCAS tariff points

### Additional requirements include:

GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.

### International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages .

### English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages .

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages .

### Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

### We're here to help

Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.

## Fees and Funding

UK Full-time Fee

per year*

International Full-time Fee

### Further Information

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.

We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

Fees and Funding Scholarships and Bursaries Cost of Living Support

### Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

## [Button: Equipment/Kit]

Students are encouraged to equip themselves with a suitable cotton laboratory coat, suitable for working in a chemical laboratory, and a pair of personal protective laboratory goggles, although the School does provide these items. Students who are successful in securing an industry-based project may, in a small number of cases, be required to purchase additional personal protective equipment as specified by the specific organisation or company.

Cost: Variable

## [Button: Placement]

Students who successfully secure a placement in industry to complete their major research project would be expected to pay their own travel costs to and from the venue during the period of placement. The cost of this will of course vary and some students have also paid for accommodation close to their place of work for the duration of their placement.

## [Button: Field Trip]

New York - Flights and Accommodation, Faculty pays for activities.

Cost: £2,000

Image: Students wearing lab coats and protective eyewear are working in a forensics lab.

## Course Kit Bursary

As a student of BSc (Hons) Forensic Investigation, you'll receive a USW-branded lab coat and goggles when you enrol, to support you with course costs.

Find out more about our Course Kit Bursary

## University Quality Assurance

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

## WE PRACTISE OUR SKILLS IN THE BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY LABS AND THEN PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE IN A SIMULATED ENVIRONMENT, WHICH MAKES IT A LOT EASIER WHEN MOVING INTO INDUSTRY.

## Life at USW

Halls are a big part of your student experience and there’s accommodation at all three of our locations. If you don’t want to live near the campus, there are great transport links to keep you connected.

Image: A student sat smiling and talking to friends off camera in Treforest Student's Union

Student Life

Image: Close up shot of the front of the Alfred Russell wallace building.

Pontypridd Campus, Glyntaff

Image: A double room at our Pontypridd accommodation featuring a large window.

Accommodation

### How to apply

There are still places available for September 2026. Apply through Clearing and get support and benefits worth up to £3k. Call our admissions team to secure your place: 03455 76 06 06 or apply online now.

You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time).

* September 2027 Sandwich

* September 2026 Full-time

* September 2027 Full-time

* September 2026 Sandwich

### Advanced entry

If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.

Applicants accepted through advanced entry may study a different combination of modules to those advertised, as they will be joining a course already in progress. You will be contacted and advised about these modules once your application has been processed and an offer made.

### International admissions

International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.

## Next Steps

How to apply

Apply Through UCAS

Book an Open Day

Chat to Us

## modal video

## Find us on social

* * * * * About Us

* University Services

* Schools and Colleges

* Job Vacancies

* Visit Us

* Our Locations

* Virtual Tours

* Quick Links

* Staff Portal

* Student Portal

* Research Explorer

* Accessibility

* Modern Slavery Statement

* Freedom of Information

* Privacy Policy

* Terms and Conditions

© University of South Wales. The University of South Wales is a registered charity. Registration No.1140312

Hide footer

Ask me anything

院校未公布 DSE 對應等級，請向院校確認。

請查看下方完整入學要求原文，或向院校確認。

成績符合不等於錄取；資料取自院校官方公開頁，取得日期見各課；最終以院校為準。

報告這課資料錯誤