Course Catalogue

The main educational aims of the Forensic Science Programme are to: Provide a body of knowledge and practical training which enables the student to pursue a career in forensic science and in a range of alternative areas of employment which use biomolecular and related analytical techniques.(e.g. B3.2, B3.3). Provide the opportunity for every student to pursue a range of studies commensurate with their individual interests within the area outlined above through informed choice. Permit the student to develop the skills and understanding of scientific methodology (e.g. B3.3, B3.5). Develop transferable skills to enable students to enter non-subject specific employment at graduate level Develop study, information technology (IT),and communication skills to enable students to participate in lifelong learning. Provide the student with skills in independent research to enable them to undertake relevant postgraduate study. Encourage students to engage with the development of employability skills by completing a self-awareness statement. In addition to the aims for the main target award, the sandwich programme aim is to provide students with an extended period of work experience at an approved partner that will complement their programme of study at LJMU. This will give the students the opportunity to develop professional skills relevant to their programme of study, as well as attitude and behaviours necessary for employment in a diverse and changing environment.

Formal lecture sessions, practicals, workshops and computer sessions, seminars, tutorials, group work and independent study. Problem based learning and case studies are an important aspect of the programme. In heavily practical based modules, assessment can be by portfolio of work completed during the module sessions. Crime scene processing is assessed in groups although individual marks are assigned. Expert witness statements and court room skills are also assessed. Examinations (essay style, MCQ and short answers),essays, reports, reviews, practical tests (to assess both understanding and technical competence),oral presentations, poster presentations are also used as means of assessment. Students are encouraged to use self-assessment throughout the course and peer assessment is used in a number of modules. Presentations, whether oral or written (such as posters) are the main areas in which this is applied. Cognitive skills are developed in many taught sessions, with an increasing emphasis as students progress from level 4 through level 6. Such skills are especially developed during level 6 modules, especially the honours project module. Lead lectures, tutorials, case studies, laboratory practical classes, research based teaching materials and methods, literature reviews, seminars are all used. Students' cognitive skills are assessed in a variety of ways: "practical intelligence" is tested in practical tests in scene-of-crime related modules; analysis, synthesis and summarising of information is assessed by report writing, analysis/ abstracting of research papers and the dissertation. The students ability for critical thinking is assessed in numerous ways including case studies and presentations, reviews and the project module. The honours project permits students to demonstrate the full range of their cognitive skills. Practical skills are taught during practical classes (a component of most modules) and during execution of the honours project. At level 4 the teaching of basic practical skills common to all PBS programmes is incorporated into the Skills module. Experiments and information retrieval tasks get progressively more complex at level 5. Students are expected to develop these skills independently at level 6 when completing the honours project and during some of the modules incorporating analysis, evaluation and interpretation of evidence. Practical skills are evaluated directly through assessed practicals and via portfolio based assessment but also by appraisal of practical and project reports. The honours project/WBL portfolio and other level 6 reports allow students to demonstrate the full range of skills they have acquired whilst presentations and exams allow a more theoretical assessment of practical knowledge. As well as having the opportunity to develop transferable skills in all academic modules, key skills are specifically taught in the research methods modules at Level 4 and 5 (4101FSBMOL and 5101FSBMOL). Teaching on these modules includes instruction in small tutorial groups. Key skills are also practiced in the honours project module, 6105FSBMOL. Throughout this time students will have a personal tutor who will oversee PDP sessions at level 4, 5 and 6 and the student also has a project supervisor at level 6 who will provide support and guidance. Key skills are assessed through coursework at all levels in all modules and specifically in the modules mentioned above. Module instructions for these modules and additional materials are on Canvas, as well as marking sheets on other modules contain detailed instructions on how the key skills are assessed.

Students are provided with the opportunity to undertake a sandwich placement. Additionally they are encouraged to attend lectures by outside practitioners in the field given outside of formal lectures. Within modules, specialist topics are covered by external lecturers from (for example) Merseyside police etc. The facility to attend an autopsy is also provided. Much of the content of a number of forensic specific modules is work related and based on problem based learning techniques.