CU Coventry (part of coventry university group)

United Kingdom (UK)

Biological and Forensic Science | BSc (Hons)

About Program

Course overview

Graduates are able to tackle challenges like the spread of infectious diseases and developing new treatments, and also practical problem-solving skills to analyse evidence from crime scenes.

Course aims:

Enable you to apply critical thinking skills to assess and solve problems in biological and forensic sciences, considering different perspectives and ethical approaches.
Develop your knowledge and understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of human health and disease, and of forensic science, including the criminal justice system processes and investigative practice.
Provide a broad and varied educational experience, with experiential learning including a wide range of community and international contexts, and multidisciplinary real-world problems.

The January start for this course is condensed in Year 1. Please see the ‘How you’ll learn’ section for more details.

Why you should study this course

A teaching team of multidisciplinary experts from various subjects, including biologists, chemists, pharmacologists, toxicologists, forensic scientists, investigators and lawyers who bring their research and practical experiences into their teaching.
Hands-on practical experience, both in the state-of-the-art Superlab+ and in the immersive crime scene simulation houses and outdoor search and decomposition facilities, so that you can confidently walk into a graduate job knowing that you have already used the same equipment used in hospital, commercial, police and research laboratories4.
A 3D printing lab where you can learn to design and 3D-print your own creations4.
Regular expert guest lectures from professionals in their field, who provide insight into the numerous employability options available2.
Opportunities to study international cold cases and take a global approach to your studies with collaborative online projects and the possibility of international field trips2.
Choose a January start - If you choose to start this course in January you will study exactly the same course but over a slightly shorter timescale in Year 1. This is ideal if you missed the September start, want to transfer from a different university or course or just need a bit more time to prepare for life at university.

How you'll learn

The teaching and learning strategy integrates underpinning theoretical principles with the development of practical and professional competencies. The teaching and learning approaches include:

keynote lectures
group interactive workshops
seminars
laboratory and forensic crime-scene simulation sessions4
directed and self-directed group-based and individual study.

Assessments aim to be authentic, inclusive and varied to promote learning. Formative and summative assessments provide you with feedback to ensure that you are supported in your learning. A blended teaching and learning approach including asynchronous materials, online synchronous and face-to-face sessions will be delivered via the virtual learning environment (currently Aula), including short, pre-recorded videos, suggested reading and links to Talis / Bibliu, YouTube videos, quizzes and activities. Staff also use interactive approaches such as Learning science, 3D modelling and printing and extended reality technologies (e.g. augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR)) to increase student engagement during sessions.

If you choose to start this course in January it will be run as a condensed programme. You’ll start your course in January and finish your first year in August. Upon successful completion of Year 1, you will progress onto Year 2 in September and then continue to start subsequent years of your course in September, completing your degree at the same time as the September starters unless you opt to do a placement year.

Careers and opportunities

Highly multidisciplinary in its approach, the course brings together a wide range of key subjects. In biology, the course explores areas like biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, immunology, human physiology, and microbiology. Forensic science topics covered include blood spatter, fingerprints, toxicology, anthropology and taphonomy. This combination of the two subjects is unique in the field and gives our graduates a broad perspective that is very appealing to employers.

Graduates also gain hands-on experience of DNA profiling, as well as the digital fluency with databases and bioinformatics that underpins both areas of science. Students graduate with the knowledge to tackle challenges such as stopping the spread of disease, improving public health, as well as the practical skills and abilities to analyse, interpret and present evidence. This side specialism in forensic sciences also provides excellent tangible evidence of problem-solving, critical thinking, anti-contamination technique, good record-keeping, teamwork, interpersonal skills and professionalism.

Our students are equipped to pursue a wide range of careers. The extensive biology content supports employment in biological research and industry, including pharmaceutical, microbiology or food quality-testing laboratories, as well as medical and scientific equipment sales. The forensic science elements further broaden employment options, to include DNA analyst, DNA reporting officer and forensic scientist jobs. The multidisciplinary course prepares graduates for a wide range of careers, such as data analysis, scientific writing and teaching roles.