With the opportunity to work alongside experts from the Criminal Justice System and emergency services, choosing Greenwich gives you a head-start for careers in forensic sciences.
Our Forensic Science degree gives you hands-on investigative experience in our dedicated crime scene facility, complete with a purpose-built vehicle examination garage and modern laboratories. You’ll carry out research in specialist decomposition and entomology spaces and work through realistic crime scenes, mass disaster simulations and Disaster Victim Identification exercises in our mock mortuary. To further enhance your employability, exciting sandwich placement opportunities are available, allowing you to gain invaluable real‑world experience and industry insight as part of your degree.
We have introduced new criminology modules that will enhance your learning in areas of criminal justice and the media and our new scenario-based investigation offers an authentic style of teaching spanning all years of the programme aligning theoretical knowledge to practical skills for forensic scientists, bringing to life the “Crime Scene to Court” approach with industry support from our partners at Forensic Access Limited. Gain the confidence to report and present your findings in keeping with the Forensic Regulators Codes of Practice.
Teaching is delivered by industry professionals with extensive practical expertise, and you’ll collaborate with specialists from Kent Fire Brigade, the Metropolitan and Kent Police Services, Counter Terrorism, UKDVI and the Natural History Museum. The degree is accredited by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences, with discounted membership throughout your studies.
Whether you’re interested in homicide investigation, blood pattern analysis, molecular biology, fingerprints, toxicology or ballistics, the course gives you a strong start in your forensic career.
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F4M9 M BSc/FSWC
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This course is being refreshed for 2026/7 building-in employability, real-world problem solving skills, and wellbeing initiatives for a future-focused learning experience. Modules shown are indicative topics and will be updated in Spring 2026.
The lecturing team have a wide range of expertise and field experience working with Kent, Sussex and the Metropolitan Police services and most recently Kent Fire and Rescue services. Our experts cover fields including family liaison, facial recognition, disaster victim identification and counter terrorism, bringing real-life examples to give you a taste of working in these disciplines. Final-year students may receive training from qualified barristers for the mock-court assessments.
From the very first day, I had access to quality teaching, approachable lecturers, and opportunities for both academic and personal development.
We are offering virtual events so you can still experience how Greenwich could be the right university for you.
To find out more about our Open Days and Campus Tours or if you need any assistance, please email opendays@gre.ac.uk.
We make Contextual offers to this programme. Applicants that meet specific eligibility criteria will be made a contextual offer with a reduced tariff of up to 16 UCAS Tariff points. Other entry requirements such as GCSEs, Interview, etc., will still need to be met. For further information, please see our Contextual Admissions policy.
For more information, use our contact form or call us on 020 8331 9000.
You can also read our admissions policy.
Yes
Find out more on our Recognition of Prior Learning pages.
Learning takes place through a combination of timetabled learning and independent study.
You 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 dedicated Academic Tutor. Timetabled learning may fall between 9am and 9pm depending on your courses and tutorials.
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.
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.
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.
You 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.
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.
The academic year runs from September to June.
Full teaching timetables are not usually available until term has started. For any queries, please use our contact form.
University is a great investment in your future. English-domiciled graduate annual salaries were £10,500 more than non-graduates in 2023 - and the UK Government projects that 88% of new jobs by 2035 will be at graduate level.
(Source: DfE Graduate labour market statistics: 2023/DfE Labour market and skills projections: 2020 to 2035).
Safety equipment
Science students are provided with lab coat and safety glasses free of charge. You'll be expected to pay for prescription safety glasses (approx. £90+) if you choose to purchase them.
Field trips
The cost of field trips is activity dependant. Some are free, while others may require a contribution. You are not obliged to pay for field trips in order to complete your course.
Professional memberships
The standard professional memberships attached to accredited courses are covered by your tuition fees. You are welcome to take up additional professional memberships at your own cost.
Resources
Course texts and other study resources are available from the Drill Hall Library. You may wish to purchase your own copies. You also receive an allowance for printing costs, which you can top up if required.
We offer a wide range of financial help including scholarships and bursaries.
This bursary is worth £700 for new undergraduate students with a low household income, entering Year 0 or 1 who meet the eligibility criteria.
Following the UK's departure from the European Union, we are supporting new EU students by offering a substantial fee-reduction for studying.
We want your time at university to be enjoyable, rewarding, and free of unnecessary stress, so planning your finances before you come to university can help to reduce financial concerns. We can offer advice on living costs and budgeting, as well as on awards, allowances and loans.
Students go to a range of companies and organisations of varying sizes for their placements, including large multi-national firms, government agencies, the NHS and small to medium sized companies engaged in research, analytical services and manufacturing (for Engineering include civil engineering and construction companies).
Students can undertake a summer placement for between 6 weeks to a maximum of 3 months which can be related to a credit rated course at level 6, or can be undertaken for work experience, acknowledged by a Certificate of Industrial Experience. Students are also encouraged to apply for sandwich placements lasting between 9-12 months which sit between the second and third year of the degree.
The Faculty expectation is that students are as far as possible treated like other employees of the company or organisation. It is expected that students on sandwich placements will be paid throughout their time with the company. In some cases, students on summer placements have had expenses only covered by the company. Students on sandwich placements are required to pay a reduced fee to the University for their placement year.
Potential career opportunities exist in forensic science and criminal justice, and more broadly in management, communications and the wider pharmaceutical, chemical and biological science sectors.
Interns can gain valuable employment experience within the faculty – subject to resources. Personal tutors will be able to advise students on where to access course internships.
We have a team dedicated to enhancing student employment outcomes. This includes an Employer Partnerships Manager, who works with companies to provide placement and employment opportunities.
Our team will also help you understand the jobs market, produce effective CVs, and prepare for a graduate job and placement applications in your final year.
Our Medway halls of residence are all located on-campus, with facilities include an on-site café, launderette and bar. And the halls are located within minutes of the historic Chatham dockyard and Chatham and Gillingham town centres.
With student-run social events, modern ensuite rooms and communal shared spaces, you’ll find that living in halls of residence will be a highlight of your University of Greenwich experience.
Rooms start at £172.06/wk and include Wi-Fi, utility bills and 24-hour residential support. Our Medway accommodation boasts 350 rooms with 24/7 security, and resident car parking permits are available.
We are ambitious for all our students and we want you to make the most of your time with us. You can access support to improve your study skills through your tutor, our subject librarians and our online academic skills centre.
We have a Learning Skills Coordinator and a writing Fellow, both of whom support students in improving their writing skills. Additional Maths support is also available through the Drill Hall library. All students are allocated a personal tutor throughout the duration of their studies. The academic support available will enhance student performance.
Students in the Faculty of Engineering and Science have access to several dedicated support roles:
In addition, the university-wide STAART programme (AccessAbility Retention and Transition) offers tailored support for students with disabilities, helping to ensure a smooth and successful academic journey.
We've got plenty of other courses for you to choose from. Browse our undergraduate courses or check our related courses below.....
With consistent high ratings for student satisfaction over the years, our courses are diverse, student-centred, and are keeping pace with constantly changing developments and employment requirements in the world of forensics.
Visit our forensic science degrees page.
Whatever subject you’re into, from human health to climate change, our supportive learning environment will prepare you for your future career. Many of our courses are accredited by professional bodies.
Visit our science degrees page.
Interested in studying a science subject? From pharmacy to forensics, we have so much to offer. Catch a glimpse of the opportunities available to you.
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