What is the best Univeristy in England to get into Forensic?

Question: What is the best Univeristy in England to get into Forensic?
- Keywords:
  university
Asked by jodierapley to Anna, Craig, Richard, Shane, Sue on 14 Jun 2011.
- Anna Williams answered on 13 Jun 2011:
  
  Hi Jodierapley,
  Well, I am probably a little biased, because I work for Cranfield University, so I would say there! But, it is only a postgraduate university, so you can’t do your first degree there. My advice is to do a traditional science degree, something like physics or biology, and then specialise in forensics once you have that grounding in real science. Most universities have good science programs, but places like Oxford and Cambridge, Edinburgh, Bristol, Sheffield, York etc are very good. If you want to do an undergraduate degree in Forensic science, then there are some very good programs, at Anglia Ruskin, Lincoln and Staffordshire.
  Once you’ve done an undergraduate degree, then Cranfield is a great place to do a Masters in Forensic Science!
- Richard Case answered on 13 Jun 2011:
  
  I feel like a bit of a fraud answering this question as I never attended uni…
  
  There are lots of uni’s offering forensic courses, but if you wish to work in the labs of the large forensic providers you would be better advised to take a pure science course i.e. biology or chemistry. During a recent parliamentary committee meeting into the closure of the Forensic Science Service, the bosses of LGC (http://www.lgc.co.uk/divisions/lgc_forensics.aspx) and Cellmark (http://www.orchidcellmark.co.uk/forensic.html) both stated that they would give first consideration to employ graduates with these degrees.
  
  The issue is that forensic science courses are a little too generic for the labs…. but would be very useful if you wanted to become a CSI after graduation.
  
  Teeside University have links with the NPIA Police National Forensic Training Centre (http://www.npia.police.uk/en/5235.htm), but I know of some great courses and lecturers all over the country… here are a few…. Wolverhampton, Keele, Dundee, Derbyshire, Liverpool
- Shane Pennington-Cooper answered on 13 Jun 2011:
  
  Hi Jodie Rapley,
  
  I might be a little bit biased but I would say University of Central Lancashire, they have one of the most up to date crime scene houses well 3 actually which they purchased specifically for the students to practice in. They use real tools as the lecturers are real forensic scientists. If you wish to get into Forensic Science I would ask yourself what area you would like to specialise in and then ask a Careers Advisor on the best steps forward.
- Sue Carney answered on 14 Jun 2011:
  
  Hi Jodierapley,
  
  Like Anna & Richard, I didn’t do a degree course in forensic science, and I agree with Anna that there’s real value in doing a traditional science degree first to gain a good scientific knowledge. A biology based degree is a good idea if you want to specialize in DNA and body fluids or a chemistry or physics based degree if you’d rather specialize in some of the other evidence types like fibres or toxicology.
  
  There are now some very good universities who offer forensic science degree courses, like Staffordshire and The University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN), and as Shane says, they use real forensic scientists as lecturers.
  
  However, the best advice I can offer is to first find a degree course that interests and excites you. That’s much more important because it will give you the motivation to learn. Deciding what you want to do with your degree, and whether to study some more will come later.
- Craig McKenzie answered on 14 Jun 2011:
  
  Hi Jodie,
  sorry it took me so long to answer your question – like some of the others here I didn’t do a Forensic Science degree – i did an applied chemistry degree and then went onto jobs doing chemical analysis and studying pollutants in the environment – Now I work at a Scottish University (Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen) and teach forensic and analytical science.
  
  If it is a forensic science course specifically then it is really important to make sure that it is accredited (assessed and approved) by the Forensic Science Society (the professional body for forensic scientists) and if possible should have an additional approval by Forensic Skillsmark / Skills for Justice. This means that the courses have been looked at very carefully by the experts and professionals in forensic science labs and are seen to be the best they can be. I agree with Anna’s answer – you really have to get yourself a strong scientific knowledge first or alongside your forensic skills. So that means chosing a course with a strong chemistry or biology content along with the forensic science or as Anna suggests doing a scientific degree first then doing an extra degree after called a Masters degree where you learn to apply your scientific knowledge to criminal investigations. It is difficult (but certainly not impossible) to get jobs in Forensic science so it is important to be employable in other scientific fields after your course too – generally the best forensic science courses equip you to be a very employable scientist in general not just a forensic scientist.
  
  On another point as I was someone who used to interview people who applied for jobs at my forensic lab it is sometimes good to go out and get experience in other fields or life in general like I did then bring those skills to the forensic lab – we wouldn’t want every person in the lab just to be copies of each other with the same ideas, experiences and the same skills – sometimes we have to put our heads together to figure out what results mean, what tests to carry out and how to fix a machine that has broken down!
  
  I hope that helps!

Question: What is the best Univeristy in England to get into Forensic?

Comments