With purpose-built facilities and links to local emergency and counter-terrorism services, choosing Greenwich for a forensics degree is the best decision you will make for your forensics future.
Our degree in Forensic Toxicology will prepare you for many exciting careers spanning forensic science, whether you are interested in working for a forensic science provider, hospital or research laboratory. With millions of chemicals in existence, there is little wonder why it is important to understand the effects of these substances on the body and the methods capable of their detection. The relevance of drug use and abuse in forensic casework can be illustrated by statements such as "the drug made me do it" which is a very common defence argument leading to more lenient sentencing and reduced culpability.
In the words of Paracelsus, "it's the dose that makes the poison" so you will graduate with strong quantitative and analytical skills. Among many topics, you will learn about many different types of drugs, how they act on the human body, how they are detected, how to report evidence of drugs, and defence arguments used in the court of law. You will also gain an appreciation of topics such as crime scene sciences, biology, chemistry and physiology.
Whether you are interested in a career involving clinical toxicology or are enticed by research involving novel crossover specialisms such as entomotoxicology, anthrotoxicology, ecotoxicology and pharmacogenetics, this course will prepare you for your career of choice.
How you will learn
The following data is based on the compulsory modules for this programme.*
* Compiled from modules taught on 2023-2024 courses.
Teaching
In a typical week learning takes place through a combination of:
Overall123You can view more information about how each module is taught within our 'What you will study' section.
Seminars and workshops enable you to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups. You will also be able to meet your personal tutor. Timetabled learning may fall between 9am and 9pm depending on your courses and tutorials.
Class sizes
Our forensic science courses allow close student and staff interaction, we pride ourselves on this level of familiarity. Some of our more generic first year modules may have larger group sizes, for example up to 100 in lectures. However, it is more usual for our subject-specific modules in that year to be much smaller, with 30-40 students per class. In the second and third years there may still be some larger groups but as students start to specialise this figure is typically reduced to 15-25 students per class.
Independent learning
At university, you must develop the ability to work more independently than you have done before. In the early stages of the degree, you will receive a higher level of support from module leaders and personal tutors. In years 2 and 3, you will need to demonstrate an increasing ability to build upon material delivered in lectures and laboratories through independent reading. Greenwich graduates should be able to think and work independently, analytically and creatively to solve problems.
Overall workload
If you are studying full-time, you should expect the workload to be similar to a full-time job. For part-time students, this will reduce in proportion with the number of courses you are studying.
Assessment
Students are assessed through a combination of assessment methods depending on the modules chosen.
Overall123You can view how each module is assessed within our 'What you will study' section.
Each course has formal assessments which count towards your grade. Some courses may also include 'practice' assignments, which help you monitor progress and do not count towards your final grade.
Feedback summary
University policy is to give feedback on assignments within 15 working days of the coursework submission date. Examination results will be available within 28 days.
Dates and timetables
The academic year runs from September to June.
Full teaching timetables are not usually available until term has started. For any queries, please call 020 8331 9000.
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