Accelerate your career in forensic science with our 4-year integrated master's. From gathering evidential traces at a crime scene and analysing DNA to understanding forensic strategy and how joint investigations are managed. Our accredited programme will provide you with the skills and techniques needed for an advanced career in Forensic Science.

Course overview

Our contemporary programme has been designed to provide you practical and hands-on experience to set you up for a career in Forensics. What sets this programme apart is its emphasis on real-world application and hands on training in all aspects of forensics. You will gain experience with professional equipment and techniques in well-equipped teaching laboratories and modern forensic science facilities. Our dedicated crime scene simulation areas cover indoor and outdoor scenarios including vehicle and fire examinations, our Crime Scene House and more.

In your first three years you will train on the entire forensic process, from evidence collection, analysis, interpretation to court reporting. In your final year you will gain the professional and expert skills needed to become an effective researcher within an academic or commercial environment. You will study a specific research topic in depth and undertake experimental work to investigate fundamental aspects of that topic or to develop and evaluate new methods of investigation or analysis. You will leave Keele with the skills you'll need for a variety of exciting careers in forensics.

Boost your employability with opportunities to gain additional certifications in digital forensics and expert witness testimony, offered by leading external trainers. Opportunities are woven through the course structure which allow you to specialise on a pathway in forensic biology, forensic chemistry, crime scene investigation or digital forensics to enhance your employability, whatever your chosen career path may be. This programme ensures you graduate not just with knowledge, but with the confidence and practical skills to excel in your career in forensics. With opportunities for work or education placements, you'll be fully prepared for a career in the field of forensic science.

Foundation year

Our Foundation Year provides an excellent alternative route to Keele, providing a unique opportunity to better prepare for your chosen degree, and with guaranteed entry onto your undergraduate course once you successfully complete your Foundation Year.

This extra year of study can improve your academic skills, expand your subject knowledge, give you a better understanding of higher education and, perhaps most importantly of all, build your confidence.

Your future career

You will graduate with advanced skills in problem-solving, data interpretation, communication and research to enable you to stand out from the crowd in a highly competitive field.

Joining the Chartered Society of Forensic Scientists (CSFS) may help with keeping up to date with developments in the sector and making valuable contacts. Please note you may need to take further study such as a PhD to enter some of the professions listed below.

Careers that are related to your degree include:

Analytical chemist

Forensic computer analyst

Forensic scene investigator

Forensic scientist

Intelligence analyst

Microbiologist

Quality control scientist

Research scientist

Security analyst

Toxicologist