University of the West of Scotland
Criminal Justice and Forensic Science BSc (Hons)
University of the West of Scotland

Key Course Facts

Student Reviews

Below you can see course specific reviews of 70 graduates of Criminal Justice and Forensic Science BSc (Hons) and other courses in Social Policy at University of the West of Scotland for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in Social Policy.

Overall student satisfaction
63 /100
70 total respondents

Primarily based on data from undergraduate degree students.

The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Salary of Graduates in Social Policy

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of Social Policy at the university. Due to data collection methodology, salary data is mainly based on data related to undergraduate students.

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £21500 £18500 £21500
25-75 percentile range £19000 - £25000 £12500 - £20500 £17500 - £25000


Salary of all UK Graduates of Social Policy

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £24750 £21858 £25736
25-75 percentile range £21060 - £28402 £17180 - £27818 £19394 - £32862

Course Description

OVERVIEW

The BSc Criminal Justice and Forensic Science degree helps you kick-start your career in the criminal justice system by developing expertise in criminal justice and the forensic examination of evidence.

This unique degree offers an opportunity to study criminal justice theory, research and policy alongside the forensic science vital to modern investigations. It draws on learning and expertise from two existing and successful degrees (BA Criminal Justice and BSc Forensic Science) and it covers the study of:

// the concepts, theories, structures, organisations, processes and practices involved with the prevention, investigation and prosecution of crime, the workings of the criminal law and criminal court system and the treatment of offenders

// crime scene examination, drugs, alcohol and evidence interpretation

This degree will prepare you for a career in the criminal justice system in policing, criminology or as a forensic examiner capable of analysing and interpreting evidence from crime scenes. Throughout your studies, you will gradually develop your scientific knowledge and research and inquiry skills applicable to the interface between criminal justice and science.

  • PRACTICAL FOCUS

The course is practical in nature and your learning is re-inforced through site visits, workshops, laboratories, role-play and presentations.

Guest lectures from practitioners and real-world case-based projects form an important part of the course.

After Year 3 you will also have the option to undertake a 12-month paid work experience as part of the Honours sandwich programme. These placements could be spent working in a laboratory or in a criminal justice related setting.

  • CAREER PROSPECTS

Jobs

As a BSc (Hons) Criminal Justice and Forensic Science graduate, you’ll have expertise in both criminal justice and science giving you a wide range of career possibilities. Graduates of this programme will be well prepared for careers in areas such as: Crime scene examination / Police and prison services / Courts and restorative justice / Drug and alcohol services / Customs and excise.

Further Study

Our graduates can go on to further academic study leading to Master of Science (MSc), Master of Research (MRes), Master of Philosophy (MPhil), or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in areas such as Forensic Science, Education, Criminology, Alcohol and Drugs and Bioscience.

Jobs & Career Perspectives

15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.

Current jobs

Required skill level of job after 15 months

Jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation)

Example below based on all graduates of Criminal Justice and Forensic Science BSc (Hons) at University of the West of Scotland

15% Media Professionals
10% Finance Professionals
10% Business and Financial Project Management Professionals
10% Business and public service associate professionals
10% Administrative occupations
5% Elementary occupations
5% Teaching Professionals
5% Business, Research and Administrative Professionals
0% Sales occupations
0% Artistic, literary and media occupations

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials and workshops.  You will also have the opportunity to take part in group work and independent learning to develop your transferable skills such as research, presentation, communication and working as part of a team.  Extensive use is made of the Moodle virtual learning environment as well as the latest software packages. **This degree is assessed using a variety of assessment methods including:**  // Written examinations // Coursework // Practical assessment // Reflective case study reports // Role-play assessments // Poster presentations

Entry Requirements / Admissions

UCAS Tariff of Accepted Students for this course

Qualification requirements

Including a relevant subject/science @ C or above (80 UCAS tariff points)

HNC in Care and Administrative Practice or Applied Science with B required in graded unit for entry to Year 1 Sufficient science and discursive subjects and a strong academic profile to be competitive. English and Maths at least at National 5 Grade B.

HND Legal Services: AAA in Graded Units. Other relevant HND qualifications will be considered on an individual basis; please contact us for advice.

Scottish Higher qualifications are considered on an individual basis

31-30 overall or 665-655 in 3 HL subjects.

Entry to Year 1 with SWAP (BBB) in Access to STEM; Access to Humaniies; Access to Social Science; Access to Law and Criminal Justice

English language requirements

test Grade Additional Details
IELTS (Academic) 6

IELTS 60 with 5.5 minimum in each skill / component.

Cambridge English Advanced

176 overall with no sub-test less than 169

Cambridge English Proficiency

176 overall with no sub-test less than 169

Trinity ISE

ISEII with the minimum of a Pass in all sub-tests

PTE Academic 54

An overall score of 54 with no element below 51

TOEFL (iBT) 78

no sub-test less than: Reading: 17; Listening: 17; Speaking: 17; Writing: 17

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS: For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. These are shown below.

Visit www.uws.ac.uk/scholarships
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Criminal Justice and Forensic Science, BSc (Hons), if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

Costs

Tuition Fees Criminal Justice and Forensic Science BSc (Hons)

Scotland £1820 year 1
England UK £9250 year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 year 1
Wales £9250 year 1
Channel Islands £9250 year 1
Ireland £9250 year 1
EU £18000 year 1
International £18000 year 1

Additional fee information

  • TUITION FEE INFORMATION - SCOTTISH STUDENTS:

Eligible Scottish domiciled students can usually apply to have their tuition fees paid for them each year of their studies by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). If you're not sure about your eligibility, you should contact SAAS. You need to apply to SAAS each year of study to have your tuition fees paid directly to UWS.

  • TUITION FEE INFORMATION - UK, IRISH & GIBRALTARIAN STUDENTS:

Eligible students who are domiciled in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland as well as from the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar or the Republic of Ireland will qualify for tuition fees of £9,250 per academic session of study to a maximum of three years if you are studying on a four year bachelor degree course (eg. BAcc (Hons) / BA (Hons) / BEng (Hons) / BSc (Hons)). So, if your degree is four years' duration, you will only be charged tuition fees for three years. Similarly, if you are studying a five year integrated master's degree course (eg. MEng (Hons)) the you will only be charged tuition fees for four years.

  • TUITION FEE INFORMATION - INTERNATIONAL (NON-EU) & EU STUDENTS:

These tuition fees apply to all non-EU, EEA, and all other EU students (excluding those from Republic of Ireland and Gibraltar, whose fee level is as per UK (non-Scottish) students - see section above for more details).

  • ADDITIONAL COSTS:

The cost of attending university is an investment in your future career.

In addition to tuition fees and living expenses, some courses involve extra costs such as consumable study materials, field trips, equipment and uniforms. You may also want to purchase some core texts and technology such as a new laptop etc. Some of these additional costs are optional, some, such as uniforms or safety equipment may be mandatory.

Check the course entry on our website for more more information

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

How to apply

Application deadline:

January 1, 2025

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Possible Entry Points:

  • year 1 (Default entry point)
  • year 2
  • year 3

University Rankings

Positions of University of the West of Scotland in top UK and global rankings.

See all 17 university rankings of University of the West of Scotland

About University of the West of Scotland

Located in the Scottish town of Paisley, we find the University of the West of Scotland (UWS). This institution also owns and operates three other secondary campuses in Ayr, Blantyre and Dumfries. Paisley campus is attended by a medium-sized student population of roughly 10,000 and provides the opportunity to study a selection of programmes related to Nursing, Engineering, Social Sciences, Business, and Computing.

List of 62 Bachelor and Master Courses from University of the West of Scotland - Course Catalogue

Where is this programme taught

Paisley Campus
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