Forensic Science

How does the chemistry of legal and illegal drugs differ? Why are some substances controlled legally, while others aren't? In this module you will be immersed in key elements of synthetic organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry in the context of different substances of abuse. You will delve into the theoretical chemistry and principles of analysis and identification for several controlled pharmaceuticals and illegal drugs, taught with legal considerations and interpretations in mind throughout. 

Why is it important to understand the influence of bias within forensic science? What are the expected professional standards for practicing forensic scientists? How do forensic laboratories adhere to the strict standards the legal system expects of them? What is it like to give evidence in a court of law? This module illustrates a range of contemporary topics in forensic science that underpin professional practice for those students wishing to enter the forensic science profession. The module content draws upon guidance published by the UK Forensic Science Regulator, UKAS, ENFSI, CSFS as well as academic and professional commentary, with a particular emphasise on evaluative reporting, case assessment and interpretation (CAI), quality standards, ethics in forensic science and bias. You will be provided training in writing expert witness court reports before undergoing a mock courtroom exercise in which you will deliver expert testimony in a courtroom environment, an essential skill for future case reporting forensic scientists.

How do we predict the time since death? How do environmental conditions affect decomposition? How do we undertake ethical research applicable to human decomposition in aid of medicolegal death investigations?  This module will introduce you to the field of forensic taphonomy, being the study of the degradation and preservation of organic remains. By immersing yourself in this multidisciplinary field you will understand the physical, chemical, and biological processes underpinning the decomposition ecosystem, and how this can be applied to medicolegal death investigations. You will learn how to reconstruct the circumstances surrounding a person’s death and estimate the time since death (post-mortem interval) using contemporary research and supporting ethical frameworks associated with this field.

What is a major incident? How do forensic practitioners interact with emergency services and government organisations while investigating a major incident? This module will provide a critical approach to the management and investigation processes that relate to a range of forensically-relevant incident types. These may include the planning, management and investigation of civil infrastructure incidents, natural disasters, disaster victim identification (DVI), acts of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) as well as managing forensic resources over a range of major and smaller incidents. You will participate in real-time group tabletop exercises, managing the response to a series of catastrophic incidents while helping you appreciate the challenges practitioners face in making quick and impactful decisions to preserve lives.

The modern forensic scientist needs to be ready to engage with their highly multidisciplinary field, showing the ability to adapt to new areas and apply their knowledge across a broad range of subject areas that are required in the context of an investigation. This module provides you with a series of advanced practical experiences that span across incident scene management and forensic taphonomy to add significant context and experience to your taught module content across the course. Your will develop skills in  writing reports for a range of different audiences, an essential skill of any practicing forensic scientist.