Forensic Science

Forensic science applies the natural sciences, chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematics, to the investigation of crime and the production of evidence that can withstand scrutiny in legal proceedings. It encompasses the collection and preservation of evidence at crime scenes, the laboratory analysis of physical and biological samples, and the communication of scientific findings to legal professionals and courts. The discipline is genuinely multidisciplinary, requiring both depth in specific scientific techniques and breadth across the range of methods that forensic investigation calls upon.

At Winchester this three-year full-time programme provides a firm grounding in the theoretical and practical aspects of crime scene investigation, evidence analysis, and expert witness skills. You will study chemistry, molecular biology, and toxicology as specific scientific foundations alongside modules exploring physics, mathematics, and statistics, and encounter specialist topics including anthropology, archaeology, entomology, and linguistics in their forensic applications. The multidisciplinary nature of the subject is explicitly embraced, reflecting the reality that forensic investigation draws on whichever scientific approach best illuminates the evidence at hand.

Winchester's location near Southampton and London gives you access to a range of professional networks and potential placement opportunities in the region.

Graduates in forensic science find careers in forensic laboratories, police forces, government agencies, environmental monitoring, pharmaceutical quality control, and research. The most direct routes lead to forensic analyst or forensic scientist roles in public forensic services or private forensic laboratories, where the combination of scientific and legal understanding the degree provides is directly applicable. The specialist scientific skills developed through the programme are also valued in analytical chemistry, toxicology, food safety, and related applied science sectors.

Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in forensic science, analytical science, or molecular biology.