Applied Bioscience with Forensic Investigation

Applied bioscience with forensic investigation is a degree that combines the laboratory sciences underlying biological analysis with the specific application of those sciences to the investigation of crime and other legal inquiries. Bioscience, in this context, encompasses the cell biology, genetics, microbiology, biochemistry and analytical chemistry that underpin forensic analysis. Forensic investigation adds the applied dimension: how biological samples are collected, preserved and analysed in ways that meet the evidentiary requirements of the legal system, and how the results of that analysis are interpreted and communicated to investigators, lawyers and courts.

At the University of the West of Scotland, the four-year full-time programme develops your laboratory skills and scientific knowledge alongside specific training in the techniques and principles of forensic science. You will study DNA profiling, trace evidence analysis, toxicology, pathology, bloodstain pattern analysis and the chain of custody procedures that ensure the integrity of forensic evidence. The degree develops both the technical proficiency needed to work in forensic laboratories and the critical thinking needed to evaluate evidence and communicate findings clearly.

UWS has strong connections with the Scottish criminal justice system and the forensic science community in Scotland, which enriches the professional context of the degree and supports connections with potential employers.

Graduates work in forensic science laboratories, police forensic services, toxicology laboratories, environmental analysis and other scientific roles where biological analysis is applied to investigative or regulatory contexts. The biomedical research and pharmaceutical industries also employ graduates with applied bioscience backgrounds. Postgraduate study in forensic science, forensic biology, toxicology or biomedical science is a natural next step for those who want to specialise further.