BSc (Hons) Forensic Sciences

Year 2 Core Modules

You must study and pass all four core modules​

Brief description

Forensic psychology is a constantly growing discipline and covers an exciting and broad range of topics. This module will examine key issues in forensic psychology integrating information from clinical, biological, developmental, personality, social and cognitive psychology. Through engaging with this module you will develop the Intellectual, Professional, Digital and Active Citizen Abertay Attributes.

Indicative content:

1. General Issues
Introduction to offenders, offences, victims, and the role of psychology in the actions of the police, the courts and prisons.
2. Explanatory Models of Crime and Offending
Biological factors, gender differences, individual differences, childhood and developmental issues, social and economic factors, and cognitive-behavioural approaches.
3. Developmental Basis for Criminal Behaviour
Biological basis of social, aggressive, and sexual behaviour with regard to neuropsychological, neuropharmacological and evolutionary issues. Psychological and biological treatments for childhood and adult psychopathology.
4. Mental Health and Offending
Mental health issues in offending behaviour. The relationship between mental health symptoms and risk in relation to offending. Personality disorder and schizophrenia as critical issues in serious offending.
5. Personality Abnormality
Inherited and acquired conditions in lifelong risk of criminal behaviour such as ADHD, Conduct Disorder (CD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Examining the factors that increase the likelihood of serious sexual and violent behaviour, stalking, and criminal recidivism.
6. Substance Use and Crime
Addiction Models of criminal behaviour. Models of emotional dyscontrol in offending. The role of alcohol and drugs in serious assaultative behaviour, neuropharmcology and psychology.
7. Specific Criminal Offences
Consideration of information from specific offending populations and the psychological factors contributing to offences. Offences may include violent offending, fire raising, stalking, terrorism.
8. Sexual Offending
Detailed consideration of individual offenders and the psychological characteristics of their criminal offences and offence development in relation to sexual and violent offending.
9. Risk Assessment
Critical discussion of the role and nature of risk assessments with forensic populations including specific methods of risk assessment.
10. Treatment and Interventions
Consideration of the background to the development and application of treatments and interventions including `what works?' approaches and cognitive-behavioural treatments, as well as key issues relating to working with offenders.

Brief description

This module will focus on the INTERPOL Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) process and introduce students to the use of biometric information, not just for personal security, but also in a forensic capacity for the purposes of human identification.

Indicative content:

1. Biometric Human Identifiers
Application of biometric information for both personal security and human identification purposes. Biometric evidence recovery from a crime scene and/or victim. Specialised and emerging biometric data. Links to current biometric databases
2. INTERPOL DVI
Introduction to the INTERPOL Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) process, recognising the four stages, the classification of disasters and understanding the identification criteria required to enable reconciliation.
3. Body Recovery and Mortuary Procedures
Describe and acknowledge the roles and responsibilities of the post mortem (PM) examination team. Recognise the sequence of a PM examination, the purpose and evidential value of samples recovered and how these items of evidence are preserved through integrity and continuity.

Brief description

In this module students will learn how forensic practitioners interact with the UK legal system, and how the legal system influences how forensic work is carried out. Students will also learn about the importance of quality assurance in forensic work. This is a system that allows users of forensic services to be sure of the results and reports produced by forensic practitioners. This module will also cover the guidance that is issued by the forensic science regulator in the UK to ensure the quality of forensic services across the UK. Through engaging with this module, you will develop the Intellectual, Professional, Digital and Active Citizen Abertay Attributes. 

Indicative content:

1. UK Legal systems for forensic practitioners
The structure of the Scottish legal system versus the rest of the UK; sources of law, abiding by the law and general principles of criminal law for forensic practitioners; rules of evidence concerning relevance, admissibility, weight and sufficiency of evidence; legal concepts of corroboration (Scots Law) and of competence and compellability of witnesses as they apply throughout the UK; differences between witnesses as to fact and expert witnesses.
2. Quality Management
Sources of Error, Total Quality Management, ISO 17025, ISO17020, Standard Operating Procedures, ILAC-G19.
3. Forensic Science Regulator
Field Specific codes of practice, Forensic Science Regulators Codes of Practice, Forensic Science “lessons learnt”, Forensic science providers codes of practice.

Brief description

This module is designed to teach basic analytical skills,the theory behind these techniques, and an understanding of their application in forensic and biomedical contexts.

Indicative content:

1. Quality
Sample custody and traceability. Data interpretation and reporting.
2. Sample Preparation
Sampling. Drying. Crushing. Weighing. Dissolution. Separation and concentration.
3. Spectroscopy
Electromagnetic radiation and the nature of light. Beer Lambert law. Theory of spectroscopy. Instrumentation. UV-visible, AAS spectroscopy. Presumptive tests. Spectroscopic techniques.
4. Theory and Principles of Chromatography
Introduction to TLC.
5. Immunotechnology
Diagnostic and detection systems based on antibody-antigen interaction: RIA, ELISA, Agglutination, Precipitation reactions. Direct, Indirect and sandwich assays. Use of serological methods in diagnosis of infectious diseases and forensic applications such as body fluid identification

Brief Description

This module provides an introduction to both Medical and Forensic genetics and uses specific examples, to highlight the importance of DNA analyses, in both fields.

Indicative Content

1. Genes and gene expression
Structure of human genes. Control of gene expression, with an emphasis on variations in genes that cause both medical conditions and common, forensically useful human traits. Splicing and differential gene expression. Common human variations and Mutations, including point mutations, indels, repeat expansions, and chromosomal aberrations.
2. Human Genomics and bioinformatic analysis
Sequence architecture of the human genome. Chromosome structure. DNA sequencing methods: Focusing on the comparison of the dideoxy irreversible terminator method of Sanger, with the “next generation” reversible terminator method of Balasubramanian and Klenerman. Analysis of sequence data. Genetic variation: the human gene pool, population genetics including Hardy-Weinberg equilibria.
3. Genetic engineering and other analytical techniques
Basic cloning including restriction digestion, ligation and transfection. PCR, Gel and capillary electrophoresis and accurate sizing of DNA fragments

Year 2, Term 1 Option Modules

You choose ONE Option Module in Term 1 and ONE Option Module in Term 2. Direct entrants must take PSY201 in Term 1.

Brief description

Forensic psychology is a constantly growing discipline and covers an exciting and broad range of topics. This module will examine key issues in forensic psychology integrating information from clinical, biological, developmental, personality, social and cognitive psychology. Through engaging with this module you will develop the Intellectual, Professional, Digital and Active Citizen Abertay Attributes.

Indicative content:

1. General Issues
Introduction to offenders, offences, victims, and the role of psychology in the actions of the police, the courts and prisons.
2. Explanatory Models of Crime and Offending
Biological factors, gender differences, individual differences, childhood and developmental issues, social and economic factors, and cognitive-behavioural approaches.
3. Developmental Basis for Criminal Behaviour
Biological basis of social, aggressive, and sexual behaviour with regard to neuropsychological, neuropharmacological and evolutionary issues. Psychological and biological treatments for childhood and adult psychopathology.
4. Mental Health and Offending
Mental health issues in offending behaviour. The relationship between mental health symptoms and risk in relation to offending. Personality disorder and schizophrenia as critical issues in serious offending.
5. Personality Abnormality
Inherited and acquired conditions in lifelong risk of criminal behaviour such as ADHD, Conduct Disorder (CD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Examining the factors that increase the likelihood of serious sexual and violent behaviour, stalking, and criminal recidivism.
6. Substance Use and Crime
Addiction Models of criminal behaviour. Models of emotional dyscontrol in offending. The role of alcohol and drugs in serious assaultative behaviour, neuropharmcology and psychology.
7. Specific Criminal Offences
Consideration of information from specific offending populations and the psychological factors contributing to offences. Offences may include violent offending, fire raising, stalking, terrorism.
8. Sexual Offending
Detailed consideration of individual offenders and the psychological characteristics of their criminal offences and offence development in relation to sexual and violent offending.
9. Risk Assessment
Critical discussion of the role and nature of risk assessments with forensic populations including specific methods of risk assessment.
10. Treatment and Interventions
Consideration of the background to the development and application of treatments and interventions including `what works?' approaches and cognitive-behavioural treatments, as well as key issues relating to working with offenders.

Brief description

The overall purpose of this module is to develop students’ understanding of the core concepts of sport and exercise psychology and how these apply to real world environments. This will be achieved by explicitly addressing students’ knowledge of affect, behaviour and cognition within relevant contexts. Students will examine intrapersonal and interpersonal factors and explore how these factors both shape and are shaped by involvement in sport and exercise. Through engaging with this module you will develop the Intellectual, Professional, Digital and Active Citizen Abertay Attributes.

Indicative content:

1. Definition of the field of sport and exercise psychology
2. Fundamentals of sport and exercise psychology
3. The role of personality in sport; models of achievement motivation and competitiveness; motivational climates; stress, arousal, anxiety and other emotional processes.
4. Group processes
Group and team dynamics, group cohesion, communication, leadership.
5. An introduction to psychological skills

Brief description

You'll be encouraged to anticipate the future opportunities and challenges that will face children in the next 20 years. By looking at emerging social norms and technologies, you'lll explore how children of the near future may learn, socialise, and thrive, as well as looking at what practical and mental health challenges may be faced. You'll also focus on gathering appropriate evidence that can inform professional practice and when working directly with the next generation of children.

Indicative content:

• Childhood over the last century: An overview of how "childhood" has changed over the last 100 years. changing patterns of developmental research.
• Relationships: Exploring generational changes in who children spend time with. Parenting, childcare and social networks.
• Teaching and learning: Changes in curriculums and approaches to learning. Future directions of schools.
• The use and misuse of technology: Technology in learning, learning of technology (e.g., cybersecurity), technology beyond learning
• Developmental disorders and mental health: Definitions and prevalence as well as treatment, interventions and educational support.
• Applications: Examining how we can apply this knowledge to professional practice with children.

Brief description

The module is designed as an introduction to research methods skills for students entering the BSc Psychology Programme at Level 8. It introduces students to the core principles and practical skills of psychological research. The curriculum includes an introduction to the scientific process, the benefits and disadvantages of key research designs, and practical application of statistical analysis and ethical considerations. Practical activities facilitate understanding of the link between psychological knowledge and empirical research.

Indicative content:

1. The Role of Research in Psychology
Introduction to scientific enquiry and the role of research in psychology
2. The Experimental Method
Defining experimental variables. Experimental design. Bias and control
3. Descriptive Statistics
Measures of central tendency and dispersion. Graphical and tabular presentation of data. Properties of the normal distribution curve. Standard error of the mean and confidence intervals
4. Inferential Statistics
Introduction to hypothesis formation and testing. The role of probability in statistical inference. Test selection for parametric and non-parametric data. Data analysis using inferential statistical tests. Type I and Type II errors.
5. Introduction to statistical software
Introduction to statistical software for date entry; to summarise data in tables and graphs; use of statistical software to perfom descriptive and inferential statistical analysis.
6. Ethics
Introduction to ethical considerations and implications with reference to the British Psychological Society Guidelines
7. Library Skills
Identify, locate and evaluate appropriate academic sources for a set academic task using key library and information skills, and acknowledge their use
8. Report Writing
Conveying information from investigations using the appropriate APA standard. Conduct and report a literature review using appropriate academic sources.

Year 2 Microcredentials - Term 2

If you are a Direct Entrant (new student) to this year of study and have not previously taken module ABE101, then you MUST take ABE201 as part of your Microcredential selection. If you have previously taken ABE101 then you are NOT permitted to take ABE201.

Please choose a total of TWENTY credits worth of microcredential (ABE) modules in Term 2.

Brief description

Throughout the microcredential you will become familiar with university systems (including the virtual learning environment), consider what attributes make a successful student and develop key successful student habits.

Indicative content

• Navigating Abertay Systems: Be introduced to and understand how to engage with Abertay systems and tools such as MyLearningSpace, MS Teams, OASIS, MyAbertay etc.
• Expectations of University and You: Explore your own and the universities expectations of you and of the university; Consider the code of conduct; independent learning; blended learning; how university is structured; health and safety; and the Abertay attributes.
• Understanding and Searching Information: How scholarly information is generated and disseminated, key characteristics of different information types. Planning, using, and refining appropriate search strategies; online search tools; using a range of web and database search functionality. 
• Successful Student Behaviours: Develop strategies to key successful student behaviours including Defeating Procrastination, Time Management, Notetaking and preparing for classes, Growth Mindset, Accessing student support and opportunities.
• Referencing: Understand what is meant by academic integrity, plagiarism, and the need for appropriate referencing; creating reference lists and in-text citations; use of referencing tools to manage information.
• Sounding Academic: Explore what lecturers mean by “academic style” and “the right language”; Understand what is meant by and how to learn the rules of academic writing characteristics. Consider how this differs between college and university; Learn how to paraphrase. Explore how assessments, marking and feedback works at university.
• Evaluating Information: Using appropriate quality criteria to critically evaluate information from any source to determine authority and bias.

Brief description

This microcredential provides you with the space and time to develop your skills in designing, planning, delivering, and showcasing an artefact responding to the societal issue. The microcredential is flexible and you will have a choice of what and how you create your response.

Indicative content

• The Big Issue: You will be introduced to the big society issue that will be the focus of your artefact response. Learning materials available will help you consider your response to the challenge.
• Developing Ideas: You will think creatively as to how you will respond to the big issue. You will consider your intended artefact aims, outcomes and target audience. 
• Responding to the Challenge: Resources and guidance will be available as you respond to the challenge and create your artefact.
• Preparing for the Showcase: Guidance will be available on how best to showcase your artefact for the assessment. You will develop your presentation skills to support you in showcasing the artefact. 
• Showcase Event: You will attend a showcase event and present your artefact.

Brief description

You will discuss a range of anti-racist approaches and how they apply within the context of professional communications. You will examine case studies and scenarios to identify the nature of bias in society explore ways to be anti-racist especially in professional communications.

Indicative content

• Racial Bias in Society: Using case studies and scenarios to discuss various forms of racism in society, you will explore the need for anti-racist practice in professional communications. 
• Classification of Anti-Racist Practice: This section compares different anti-racists approaches applied across several contexts. You will discuss the challenges and benefits of each approach. You will identify barriers to implementation of anti-racist practice.
• Discuss Anti-Racist Approaches for Successful Professional Communications: You will be introduced to various communications frameworks (e.g. the humanity-centric framework) and will explore scenarios for the application of these frameworks in a range of professional contexts.
• Embedding Anti-Racism in Digital and Social Media Communications: How can you discuss matters of race and anti-racism on digital and social media while maintaining a professional persona. We will examine cases for best practices and explore ways to avoid bigoted language in digital communications. 

Brief description

In this module you will study two ways of analysing language: (i) a basic introduction to conversation analysis and discourse analysis as applied to ordinary talk/texting, and (ii) and introduction text mining, based on identifying patterns and developing insights from text-based data available on the Internet (e.g., social media data, online texts, online reviews etc).

Indicative content

• Conversation Analysis and Talk and Text as Action: A brief overview of the CA focus on language as action; an examination of how people talk in terms of questions, answers, invitations, excuses, justifications etc.; an examination of texting, emojis, misunderstandings.
• Text Mining: Introduction to text mining and its uses in a social sciences and business context; Online data sources; The text mining process: data collection, pre-processing and analysis; effectively communicating and visualising insights from textual data.

Brief description

By the end of this microcredential, you will be able to evaluate and select machine learning algorithms and AWS services to be appropriately applied to different business problems.

Indicative content

• Introduction to Machine Learning: What is ML? ML process, business problem solved with ML, ML tools, Amazon SageMaker, ML challenges, supervised learning (regression, classification), unsupervised learning (clustering, dimensionality reduction), reinforcement learning, etc.
• Implementing a ML pipeline using Amazon Sage Maker: Formulating ML problems, collecting and securing data, extracting, transferring and loading data, evaluating your data, finding corelation, feature engineering, data cleaning, dealing with outliers, training, deployment, performance evaluation, hyperparameters and model tuning.
• Forecasting: Time series analysis, Amazon Forecast, Implementing a forecast model, Stock Predictions.
• Computer Vision: Facial Recognition, Image and Video Analysis, Dataset Preparation.
• Natural Language Processing: Amazon Comprehend, Polly, Translate, and Lex, Creating a chatbot, Alexa, etc.

Brief description

This online module will support you to get familiar with sustainability and introduce you to tools that can help you to understand and reduce your climate impact. By increasing your sustainability self-awareness, you will be able to make a positive difference in your own life, and in the organisations and communities around you.

Indicative content

• What is sustainability and how is it linked to Climate Change?: We define sustainability, enhancing understanding of the links between society, economy, and environment. Climate change is explained and linked to sustainability. We provide clear accessible information about the reliable science of climate change. We describe the need efforts towards limiting human-induced global warming (limiting cumulative CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions). 
• Global Sustainability: We introduce the United Nations Sustainability Goals (SDGs). The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. 
• Personal Sustainability: The WWF environmental footprint tool is a great way to start your personal sustainability journey. The planet is in crisis - from climate change to the pollution in our oceans and devastation of our forests. It's up to all of us to fix it. Take your first step with our environmental footprint calculator. 
• Community Sustainability and Climate Resilience: Community climate resilience comes in many forms. In this topic we introduce ideas which can provide multiple benefits of people, planet, and prosperity. We showcase inspiring examples whereby working with natural processes (Biophilic design, blue and green infrastructure) we can connect people with nature to improve their well-being and quality of life, whilst simultaneously tackling climate change and storing carbon.
• Global Solutions: What is the world doing about it? What impact do Global Climate and Biodiversity agreements (COP26 etc) really have? What’s happening here? Where are the challenges and the good news stories? We showcase positive initiatives focussed on progress.

Brief description

By the end of the module, you will know more about key aspects of nutrition and health and be better equipped to identify and tackle the barriers that prevent you from eating well.

Indicative content

• Healthy eating on a budget: This topic will show you that healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive! You will be given basic nutritional knowledge, as well as skills and practical tips to be able to eat a healthy diet on a budget. You will then be able to develop your own menu and share it with your peers, so you learn from us as well as from each other.
• Prebiotics, probiotics and health: You will learn about the importance of our microbiota on health, and how what we eat can modulate it. You will be provided with cooking tips and will be able to develop your own fermented foods for better gut health.
• Fat or sugar, which is worse?: You may have heard that fats are bad for our health, or perhaps you have heard it is all about the sugars? You will learn about the role of both sugars and fats in our diet; what makes them good or bad for health and the science behind it. You will be given the tools to assess your own sugar and fat intake as well as tips to implement the changes you need to eat better. 
• The British diet vs Mediterranean diet: What is a Mediterranean diet and what are its real benefits? Is it just a diet or a pattern? Can we get the same benefits as those living in Mediterranean countries? In this topic, you will explore how feasible it is for us to adopt the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle, considering the seasonality of ingredients as well as sustainability. 
• What drives our food choices?: How healthy do you think your diet is? Do you find it easy to eat well? With this topic you will become more aware of our obesogenic environment, of how the food industry talks to us, and how the media report nutritional claims. You will learn to look more closely and more critically at your environment, so you can make healthier decisions.

Brief description

This microcredential will help you to refine your current writing skills through the analysis and discussion of a range of texts and exercises, enabling you to then apply these techniques to assignments for your other modules.

Indicative content

• Speaking the language: How to develop your academic and professional vocabulary: understanding the genre; understanding your reader’s expectations.
• Meeting expectations: Why different assignments have different requirements: decoding instructions; selecting appropriate writing techniques.
• Tightening up the nuts and bolts: How to improve your writing accuracy: reviewing key grammar and punctuation issues; improving your editing and proofreading.
• Standing on the shoulders of giants: How to borrow from the greats: reviewing the principles of citing sources; using writing techniques to incorporate research into writing.

Brief description

This module will help you develop a better understanding of the difference between media reporting and scientific evaluation. It will equip you with the skills to look beyond sensational stories related to human behaviour and dig deeper into a topic area to validate the evidence.

Indicative content

• Paranormal Beliefs and Experiences: Is Extrasensory Perception Real? Is there really evidence that we can predict the future?
• Myths about the Brain: Can repressed memories be recovered in therapy? How easily are false memories created? What are the implications for the justice system? 
• Myths about our Mind and Body: Is the key to success in everyday life simply a case of posing like a powerful superhero? 
• Myths about Language: Does being bilingual make you smarter and keep your brain younger? Are bilingual people less likely to get dementia as a result of this lifelong brain training?

Brief description

Through this microcredential you will gain an insight into what the world of work may look like in the (near) future. This includes developing a knowledge of how the economy and labour market evolves and why individual skills-sets and employability are so important and intrinsically linked to this process.

Indicative content

• The future of work: What will the future of work look like? What is used to predict how the world or work will change? Can the future of the economy and of work be accurately predicted? 
• Key factors that influence change: Identifying some of the key factors that influence how the world of work and our economy evolves and changes.
• The key role of skills and personal employability: The emergence and decline of skills: skills are fundamental to the economy (and graduate employers). What skills will be most in demand and/or be most valuable to our economy in future and why? Understand the importance of skills to the economy (and to graduate employers) at both the macro and micro level. Know what specific new skills are emerging and becoming more valuable and sought after, (as others are in decline) for our modern economy and graduate labour market. 
• Labour market information - what is it for?: Labour market Information is hugely important to our understanding of our economy at any given time: and also, in looking at the present and past to help predict future growth, opportunities, shortages and skills gaps. Recognise the importance of key Labour Market Information (LMI). Have the ability to source and use key Labour Market Information (LMI). Understand how to use accurate Labour Market Information as a tool to help their own personal development and future career planning. 
• What now?: Some help and steer – suggestions to you may wish to use your new knowledge and insight to help with your own career aspirations, planning and personal/professional development while at university.

Brief description

Some businesses have the sole focus of making money whereas others exist to also make a difference. Social enterprises are becoming more popular, and recognisable, and are making an impact across the world. From supporting the homeless, to giving waste products a second life, social enterprises are fighting for various causes. 

Indicative content

• What is a social enterprise and how does it function?: What the definition of a social enterprise is with examples from different sectors.
• How do social enterprises identify problems to tackle?: How social enterprises decide on what they will tackle and how they will do it. 
• How do you gather evidence that there is a problem requiring a solution?: Way in which you can gather evidence and data to validate the idea for a social enterprise. Determining needs and wants within a category. 
• How to identify skills and knowledge gaps: Understanding the skillsets within a founding team to fulfil the tasks required to start a social enterprise. 
• How to understand the problem you are trying to solve: Knowing the problem, you are trying to solve and how this effects the target customers the social enterprise is aimed at. Looking at the issues in a customer-focussed way. 
• How to develop a social impact plan: What is involved in a social impact plan and how to put one together. 

Brief description

This module will introduce you to the study of AI and Society. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a set of technologies and concepts and can be understood as using computers and software to denote problem-solving capacities and knowledge acquisition (intelligence) which otherwise we believe only belongs to natural beings such as humans.

Indicative content

• Introduction to the core concepts: A brief introduction to the concepts of “artificial”, “intelligence” and “society”. 
• Introduction to the problem of AI and Society: A discussion of where the problem of the impact of AI on Society comes from, presentation of some of the original debates and examples.
• Contemporary debates: A discussion of the contemporary debates about the impact of AI on Society, with examples.

Brief description

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how has it shaped our past and present? These are questions we will explore on a guided tour of AI from the past to the present and the future. You will develop a better understanding of what AI is and isn’t.

Indicative content

• Historical AI: Tracing the historical development of “traditional” AI systems including aircraft autopilots, expert systems, and accounting/financial software.
• Current AI: Covering the contemporary generation of AI technologies in areas such as speech recognition (e.g., Alexa, Siri) and recommendation systems (e.g., Amazon, YouTube). Examples will be drawn from Health, Sport, Games, Engineering, Business, Law and Computing. 
• Future AI: Exploring the limitations of today’s AI when it comes to general intelligence and contextual adaptation. Examples will be drawn from Health, Sport, Games, Engineering, Business, Law and Computing.
• My AI: How AI will impact your future, and how you can use AI to help you achieve your career goals.  Reflection on how AI may inform your subject area going forward.

Brief description

This microcredential is aimed at you, if you have an interest in technology but are not experts. The microcredential will develop your digital safety and how to stay safe online.

Indicative content

• Threat Landscape: Cyberattacks and online threats. System vulnerabilities. Social Engineering. Rights and computer laws.
• Authentication: Password security. Biometrics. MFA and Password managers. Good practices for authentication.
• Secure Communication: Web browser security. Certificates and trust. Effective encryption. Secure communication methods.
• Personal Information Privacy: Information leakage. Personal information privacy and open-source intelligence. Device encryption and security. Security mindfulness.
• Malware: Types of malware. Identifying malicious software. Malware propagation techniques. Malware removal and preventative measures.

Brief description

This microcredential will help you to develop and build your own confidence in applying numeracy skills in real world situations.

Indicative content

• What is my GPA and how likely am I to get a First? (BASIC NUMERACY): Calculation and manipulation of data using Percentages, Indices (Powers), Roots, Probability, and simple equations. 
• The power of prediction (GRAPHS): Straight line graphs, Gradients, Equations of a straight line, Intercepts. Drawing graphs - Linear equations, Distances between points. Simultaneous linear equations.  
• Love a good puzzle (ALGEBRA): Changing subject of formulae. Factorisation - common factors, Difference of two squares, Trinomials. Solving simultaneous equations by Substitution and Elimination.
• Advanced power of prediction (FUNCTIONS): Introduction to functions – Linear and Quadratic and solving quadratic equations. Factorising Quadratic equations.
• Love a good triangle (TRIGONOMETRY): Trignometric functions - Sine, cosine and tangent. Trignometric formulae.

Brief description

In this microcredential, you will learn more about how digital media production professionals in the UK and China are working together to reduce barriers and identify new opportunities for collaboration and growth.

Indicative content

• History and future of videogames in China: Focussing on the videogame sector as a case study of Chinese digital creative industries, how has the videogames market and industry developed in China, how is the Chinese videogames economy currently constituted, and what does the future hold?
• Consumer trends and audience preferences: What is popular with audiences in China? What can we note about preferences in terms of narrative content, aesthetics, play styles etc. when compared with other markets?
• Policy and regulation: What unique regulations or limitations are imposed on digital media within China, and what similarities are there with other national and transnational regulations? How is creative content development and publishing shaped by policy in China? What social and ethical challenges are presented by regulation, in China as well as in the UK?
• Transnational working and co-production: How is digital creative content conceived, developed, and released by professionals working across borders? What are the challenges for small and independent creative studios, compared with multi-nationals with studios based in and outside China?
• Publishing in China: How do digital media content like videogames make it to market in China? What processes and requirements must creative businesses be aware of, and how do developers find, connect to, and work with Chinese publishers? How to consumers in China access content, including on grey markets?
• Challenges and success: Hear from UK and Chinese professionals on the China market, co-operation, the hurdles they cleared, and how they found success.

Brief description

Increasingly, the role of creativity in supporting and maintaining wellbeing is being researched and celebrated. This module will introduce you to the current theory in this area, as well as a range of creative resources shown to be helpful for both self-care and the support of others.

Indicative content

• Why does creativity matter?: An introduction to why creativity matters when it comes to mental health.
• Your brain on words: The place of stories in their various forms as a resource for wellbeing.
• Engaging the senses: The potential of tools such as music and art for self-care.

Year 3 Core Modules

You must study and pass all six core modules

Brief description

Introduction to the identification and confirmation of body fluids in forensic biology casework and the scientific interpretation of bloodstain patterns. Covered also is the contribution of specific biological sciences to specialised forensic science studies.

Indicative content:

• Body fluids: Methods for detection and confirmation of the presence of blood, saliva, semen, faeces and urine. Interpretation of the presence and distribution of such staining and an understanding of body fluid persistence.
• Blood dynamics and blood stain patterns: Rheology of blood and blood behaviour. Impact, cast- off, arterial and transfer patterns, interpretation and evidential value.
• Selected areas of biology relevant to Forensic Science: For example: aspects of entomology, trichology and other specialist areas of forensic biology may be considered.

Brief description

The theoretical basis for chromatography and the ability to use spectroscopic techniques to identify organic compounds.

Indicative content:

• Chromatography: Methods of separation; paper chromatography; column chromatography; chromatograms-integration, calibration, response factors; HPLC; GC; GC-MS; LC-MS. Thermodynamic and kinetic principles of separation.
• Spectroscopy: Near Infrared spectroscopy; Mid Infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance; mass spectrometry; uv-vis spectroscopy.
• Problem solving: Use of a range of spectroscopic data to provide rational structures for selected organic compounds. Forensic Science related case studies, such as the analysis and identification of fire accelerants or drugs of abuse.
• Laboratory techniques: Carry out a range of separation and spectroscopic techniques in the laboratory on forensic related samples.

Brief description

The investigation, evaluation and interpretation of evidence from fires and explosions. The causes of fire, thermodynamics of combustion, sample collection and packaging, chemical tests and analytical techniques for fire debris analysis.

Indicative content:

• Fire and Explosion Dynamics: Heat transfer mechanisms, ignition and spread of flame, spontaneous and smouldering combustion, pre-and post-flash-over fires, smoke movement, buoyancy, fuel load.
• Thermochemistry of Fuels and Explosives: Combustion and energy release, oxygen balance and the Kistiakowsky−Wilson rules, Hess's law, heat and temperature of explosion, the concept of heat capacity.
• Explosion and Fire Debris analysis: Explosives classification, factors affecting detonation. Debris position, identification of mechanical, thermal history and origin. Use of chemical tests to identify potential explosive residues and accelerants. Fire cause diagnosis, identification of origin of fire and source of ignition.
• Internal, External and Terminal Ballistics: Factors affecting velocity, trajectory and impact of ballistic weapons, wounding, permanent and temporary cavity production factors.
• Ballistic physical evidence: Tool-marks, firing pin impressions, rifling striations, gunshot residue, class and individual characteristics, factors affecting evidence production, transfer and persistence and interpretation.

Brief description

The value and limitations of selected trace evidence types in criminal investigations. The main trace evidence materials of glass, paint and fibres from the initial case assessment and lab analysis through to evaluation and presentation of trace evidence in court.

Indicative content:

• General concepts of trace evidence: Scope, recognition, recovery, case assessment, analysis, interpretation and presentation. Importance of discriminatory analytical methods, use of controls, sampling, reference materials, contamination avoidance, quality processes in the trace evidence laboratory, traceability, databases, frequency of occurrence, classical and Bayesian style interpretation and evaluation of evidence.
• Composition and properties of common trace evidence materials: Composition, properties & where appropriate general processes used in the manufacture & colouring of glass/paints/manmade & natural fibres. Appreciation of different analytical processes approp to trace evidence examinations & some of the quality issues surrounding lab trace evidence exams. The use of groupings & t tests in the statistical analysis of data together with the limitations of such approaches & the use of continuous Bayesian style statistics in the evaluation of trace evidence.
• Characterisation of common trace evidence materials: Laboratory characterisation of glass, paints and fibres, use of various microscopic techniques in the comparison/discrimination of different trace evidence materials. Introduction to evidence interpretation and reporting of trace evidence laboratory casework; quality control, quality assurance, proficiency testing.

Brief description

The effects of toxins and drugs on human systems and the approaches to their detection and quantification in accidental and deliberate poisonings. Based around mammalian toxicology with a predominant focus on human examples.

Indicative content:

• Mechanisms of drug action and pharmacodynamics: This will include; receptor signalling; agonists antagonists. Drug− receptor binding and interaction. Examples will be drawn from central nervous system (CNS) receptors, adrenergic cholinergic receptors/neurotransmission.
• Pharmacokinetics: Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME). Routes of administration and the implications for drug/ toxin effect, and the distribution/dispersion of drug/toxins, phase I II metabolism, biotransformation. – including bioactivation. Elimination/ Excretion. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting ADME (such as pharmacogenetics). Introduction to quantitative elimination/back− calculation. Case studies.
• Poisoning symptoms: Toxicity, Toxidromes and the Treatment of Poisoning.
• Forensic investigations: History of Forensic Toxicology. Areas of Forensic Toxicology. Environmental Toxicology. Sample types: Advantages, Disadvantages; Sample handling. Screening and confirmatory tests. Post−mortem toxicology. Toxicological reports.
• Topic case studies: Case studies based on real clinical, environmental and forensic toxicological cases.

Brief description

Advanced principles and techniques used in Forensic Science and the roles of Forensic Scientists. Higher level forensic practical skills involved in the investigation, searching and examination of crime scenes is covered, as well as the examination techniques used in the examination of some of the evidence types found at crime scenes

Indicative content:

• Approach to crime scene investigation: Roles responsibilities and liabilities of crime scene investigation and management, along with protection of the scene and co- ordination from initial assessment to scene conclusion.
• Crime scene examination and searching: Methodologies of effective searching, examination of points of entry, systematic approach, use of light sources and photography. Fingerprinting techniques (e.g dusting, ninhydrin and cyanoacrylates), fingerprint identification and classification, casting techniques for toolmarks and footwear marks, footwear enhancement, comparison and identification.
• Advanced enhancement techniques: Application of advanced enhancement techniques of latent marks using chemical and lighting techniques, along with selection of the appropriate visualisation techniques to develop latent marks on various substrates.
• Report writing: The production of reports used to record evidence found at a scene and present evidence in court, which will follow the evidence from crime scene to court.

Year 4 Core Modules

You must study and pass all five core modules

Brief description

Techniques and research used in a forensic DNA laboratory from sample receipt, extraction and replication to analysis and interpretation. You use your own samples to work through DNA analysis.

Indicative content:

• DNA structure, genetics, molecular biology: Occurrence and distribution of unique, middle and highly repetitive DNA fractions. Hypervariable fraction and its exploitation in forensic science.
• Background to DNA profiling: Alec Jeffreys - minisatellite DNA - first use of DNA profiling - progress through the 1980’s, 90s, 00s - Multilocus DNA profiling (MLP) - Single locus probes (SLP), PCR based techniques such as HLADQa, Quad, SGM SGMplus, DNA-17, New multiplexes.
• Generation of STR DNA profiles: Introduction to how reproducible and sizeable DNA profiles using multiplexed short tandem repeat (STR) are generated.
• Crime Scene profiling: Sources of DNA encountered in forensic casework and anti-contamination procedures.
• Statistical evaluation of DNA matches and court presentation: Match probability calculations, population genetics and Bayesian approach to evidence interpretation. Presentation of DNA evidence in court; challenges and appeals.
• Population genetics: Principles of inheritance - Mendel’s laws, population genetics.
• Identification of human remains: Human remains identification, including mass disaster- victim ID by the use of surrogate reference samples and relatives’ samples.
• Intelligence-led screens: Role of such initiatives with casework examples.
• Specialist techniques: New developments/ Ongoing research areas.

Brief description

The chemistry and pharmacology of commonly abused substances. Study their chemical structure, production and distribution within the supply chain, their biological effects and analyses together with relevant legislation and the forensic reporting of casework samples.

Indicative content:

• Physiological and pharmacological considerations: Types of substances, routes of ingestion and pharmacokinetics (ADME) of specific substances of abuse, pharmacodynamics and physiological effects including addiction/dependency.
• Analytical/Legal considerations: Presumptive Testing, sampling, errors of measurement, reference materials, challenges associated with unequivocal identification of illicit drugs and new psychoactive substances, method validation and reporting levels, uncertainty, quantification, UKAS accreditation and various sections of current UK legislation.
• Production, quality, drug intelligence and chemical considerations: Clandestine laboratories, health & safety, precursors, steroisomerism, potency, yield, purity, batch characterization, secondary processing, diluents & adulterants, storage conditions, degradation, product safety, databases, cluster analysis and drug intelligence.

Brief description

The theoretical underpinning skills required for you to pursue a detailed investigation of a selected research topic under the guidance of a member of staff.

Indicative content:

• Research project management: The role of literature review in research. The principles and practice of GLP and GMP, Research methods, The role of literature review in research. Research project management. Time management in the research context.
• Research project development: Research ethics. Research health and safety. Statistical skills for research.
• Practical and laboratory skills: Practical and laboratory skills required for the project.
• Competencies relating to professional roles and status: Linking examples of previous and planned activity with competency statements.

Brief description

Taking an integrative and holistic approach to the application of forensic science to complex cases. Apply cognitive abilities to critical analysis, deductive and inductive reasoning, conceptual understanding, interpretation and presentation of complex forensic science cases. 

Indicative content:

• Contemporary practice: Operating environment and expectations of professional forensic scientists. Opinion evidence. Probability concepts in case assessment & interpretation of evidence - the CAI model and the use of databases. The role of communication: the expert witness, statement writing and presentation of evidence in court.
• Practical case study: Apply the full range of forensic science knowledge skills to identifying, obtaining, analysing, interpreting, evaluating, and presenting case study evidence in a moot court scenario.

Brief description

Plan, conduct report and present an extensive piece of research work.

Indicative content:

• Project work: Effectively and efficiently conduct the project into a specific aspect of forensic/analytical science, under the supervision of a named academic or academic team.
• Project log / Lab book: Record day to day progress in the form of a project log or detailed laboratory note book and submit it for scrutiny on a weekly basis.
• Portfolio: Produce a final project report within the given guidelines and on time. Present the outcomes of the research project by means of a poster presentation and defend the findings under critical questioning in a short viva-voce examination.
• Presentation: Present the outcomes of the research project by means of a poster presentation.