Course Handbook BSc (Hons) Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation

2019/20

Course Leader: Deryck Sharples School of Forensic and Applied Sciences

Please read this Handbook in conjunction with the University’s Student Handbook.

All course materials, including lecture notes and other additional materials related to your course and provided to you, whether electronically or in hard copy, as part of your study, are the property of (or licensed to) UCLan and MUST not be distributed, sold, published, made available to others or copied other than for your personal study use unless you have gained written permission to do so from the Dean of School. This applies to the materials in their entirety and to any part of the materials.

Contents 1 Welcome to the Course 2 Structure of the Course 3 Approaches to teaching and learning 4 Student Support 5 Assessment 6 Classification of Awards 7 Student Feedback 8 Appendices

8.1 Programme Specification(s)

1. Welcome to the course

The BSc (Hons) Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation is run by the School of Forensic and Applied Sciences. The role of the School in general and this course of study in particular, are to enhance knowledge, understanding and application of forensic science and domestic and international criminal investigation by formal teaching, research and scholarship. As your awareness of forensic science and criminal investigation grows you will begin to appreciate the multi-disciplinary approach adopted in the modern-day investigative process. During your course you will acquire an understanding of how these specialist fields interact and you will therefore be studying a wide range of subject areas. Broadly speaking, there are three compulsory streams of study: criminal investigation, crime scene science and forensic science. You will also have the opportunity to specialise further in the fields of crime scene investigation or forensic anthropology.

This course, one of the first of its kind in England, has been designed to focus on the analytical knowledge and skills required by crime and crime scene investigators. When thinking of crime investigation, most people automatically think of the police service but there are many other organisations engaged in the investigation of crime. In the public sector there are criminal investigation branches in many government Schools such as the National Health Service (Counter Fraud), School of Trade and Industry (‘DTI’), School for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (‘Defra’), Benefits Agency, HM Customs & Excise, National Crime Agency; and each arm of the military has its own, specialised investigative branch. Every local authority employs investigators in enforcement roles and consumer protection.

In the private sector there are many organisations employing investigators to look into insurance frauds, copyright and counterfeiting. There are also a growing number of organisations tasked with the investigation of international crime and abuses of human rights and the presentation of evidence to the various international courts and tribunals. The course will equip students for employment in any of these fields.

Additionally, the course develops a wide range of skills that are required for a career outside the fields of forensic science and criminal investigation; for example, the military, other aspects of science, management or teaching. Experience has shown that many graduates take up a career in a range of related areas.

The School has strong links with various Forensic Science Providers including LGC and Cellmark, the Crown Prosecution Service and Scientific Support Units especially in the North West of England and elsewhere in the U.K. Liaison with ‘front-line’ investigators and both legal and forensic science practitioners has been central to the development of the School and there has been significant input by such specialists into the course design, development and delivery. Links such as these ensure both that you will have the opportunity to develop a unique insight into both forensic science and criminal investigation and that the quality and relevance of the courses is maintained. The course itself is designed so that after each year of study you will have the knowledge base and practical ability of Volume Crime Scene Investigators, Crime Scene Investigators and management. This is achieved as a result of mapping the teaching materials against the National Occupational Standards for VCSI’s and CSI’s.

The School has invested in specialist teaching facilities for all of its courses. These include evidence search and recovery laboratories, a microscopy suite for scientific investigation, three crime scene houses and a forensic warehouse in which is located our vehicle examination

facilities complete with four vehicles. In the latter two facilities you will learn how to record the crime scene using photography, identify, enhance and recover all types of evidence, record the intelligence obtainable from that evidence and interpret the crime scene.

1.1 Rationale, aims and learning outcomes of the course

It is important that both you and your teaching team are clear about

what you are striving to achieve over the next three years of your studies, and to that end the aims and objectives of the course are outlined in the paragraphs that follow.

The specific aims of the course are:

• To foster the development of key academic, vocational and personal skills to prepare students for a career as a crime scene or crime investigator, particularly with those domestic and international agencies which place a high reliance on scientific evidence in the identification and prosecution of offenders.

• To provide detailed contextual knowledge of subjects underpinning forensic and investigative science in the broad areas of law, criminal investigation, and one of anthropology or crime scene investigation.

• Through simulated experience of gathering evidence from both scientific and other sources, to develop the practical skills necessary to contribute to a criminal, crime scene and scientific examination.

• To provide practical experience of scientific and criminal investigations and forensic casework.

• To foster the development of the transferable and key skills required for further academic and vocational training and in employment, including communication and inter-personal skills.

• To develop critical and analytical thought.

What are the Learning Outcomes of the course?

The learning outcomes which follow should provide you with an understanding of the global learning goals which apply to the course. However, in the booklet for each module that will be provided, you will find individual syllabuses and the detailed learning outcomes for each particular module.

By the end of the course you should achieve the following outcomes:

Knowledge and Understanding

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the following areas:

Describe the principles relevant to criminal investigation and the court

process, crime scene science, forensic science and evidence gathering Explain and apply the rules of domestic and international criminal law Explain and evaluate the roles of the people within the English and

international legal systems, Correctly use the terminology and classification of law and criminal investigation Apply the practical skills essential to a modern criminal investigation.

Cognitive Skills

• Demonstrate the following cognitive skills:

Selection and analysis of information from written, electronic and interview-based sources.

Formulation of structured arguments, hypotheses and lines of enquiry and the execution and critical evaluation of these in the light of specific evidence.

Presentation on the results of investigative studies.

Subject Specific Skills

• Demonstrate the following subject specific skills: Apply range of practical techniques in the investigation of crime and the recovery,

preservation and documentation of scientific evidence Critically evaluate evidence within the law of evidence and relate it to substantive law. Describe and evaluate major concepts and principles of law. Use the correct terminology, nomenclature and classification of law and criminal

investigation. Organise and conduct investigative interviews. Assess and examine crime scenes and recover, analyse and interpret physical

evidence. Apply specialist knowledge of forensic practices to investigations and cases. Work safely and effectively in the laboratory, at crime scenes and in simulated law

enforcement situations Demonstrate skills in communication, independent thought, analysis and

research, observation and teamwork.

Transferable Skills/Key Skills

• Manage time and learning/work activities. • Work individually and in a group to solve ‘real world’ problems. • Learn independently, making use of written, electronic and human sources of

information. • Communicate effectively, both individually and as part of a group. • Apply specialist knowledge of forensic practices to investigations and cases. • Perform calculations and appropriate statistical analysis. • Management of people and situations, such as crime scenes and incidents. • Analyse problems and generate a dissertation plan.

As it is often useful to identify the different learning outcomes that you will be expected to achieve in each module; the programme specification in Appendix B plots the different learning outcomes against each module.

1.2 Course Team You will mainly be taught by staff from the School of Forensic and Applied Sciences at the University. This list represents those co-ordinating particular areas, or who have particular roles in the delivery of the Course. We have included their qualifications so that you can see where their expertise lies. Academic Staff Deryck Sharples MSc Course Leader Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation

Lecturer (Forensic Science) e-mail: dsharples2@uclan.ac.uk Ext 4397 Room JBF106 Kev Pritchard MA

Senior Lecturer (Forensic Science) e-mail: kpritchard@uclan.ac.uk Ext 4379 Room JBF001

Bob Barnes Cert ED. MSc Associate Lecturer (Policing) e-mail: rpbarnes@uclan.ac.uk Ext 4151Room MB22

Dave Brian LLB (Hons). LLM Lecturer (Policing) E-mail : djbrian@uclan.ac.uk Ext 3539 Room MB222

Paul Callaghan MA Lecturer (Forensic Science) Email: pcallaghan1@uclan.ac.uk Ext 4029 Room JBF105

Sue Carney MSc Lecturer (Forensic Science) e-mail: scarney@uclan.ac.uk Ext 3493 Room JBF106 Paul Wheeler

Lecturer (Forensic Science) e-mail: pwheeler@uclan.ac.uk Ext 4337 Room JBF111

Carol Cox BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD Dean of School Professor E-mail: ccox1@uclan.ac.uk Ext 3757 Room MB052

Peter Cross BSc, MSc Associate Lecturer (Forensic Anthropology) email: pacross1@uclan.ac.uk Ext. 4153 Room MB129

Rachel Cunliffe BSc, MSc Associate Lecturer e-mail: recunliffe@uclan.ac.uk Ext: 3755 Room MB129

Peter Hall MSc Lecturer (Forensic Science)

e-mail: phall@uclan.ac.uk Ext 4388 Room JBF106 Arati Iyengar BSc, MSc, PhD (Genetics)

School Disability Officer Lecturer (Forensic Genetics) e-mail: aiyengar@uclan.ac.uk Ext 3925 Room MB130

Andy Johnson MBA Course Leader Police and Criminal Investigation Lecturer (Police and Criminal Investigation) e-mail: ajohnson2@uclan.ac.uk Ext. 4259 Room MB52

Janine McGuire BSc PhD (Chemistry) School Programme Coordinator

Senior Lecturer (Forensic Chemistry) e-mail: jgmcguire@uclan.ac.uk Ext 4385 Room JBF109

Allan Scott DMS Lecturer (Forensic Science) e-mail: amscott1@uclan.ac.uk Ext 4394 Room MB063

Judith Smith BSc, PhD (Genetics) Lecturer (Forensic Genetics) Course Leader Forensic Sciences e-mail: jasmith@uclan.ac.uk Ext 4257 Room MB130

Cat Tennick PhD

Lecturer (Forensic Science) e-mail: cjtennick@uclan.ac.uk Ext 4170 Room MB128

Adam Wilcox BSc Demonstrator e-mail: awilcox2@uclan.ac.uk Ext 4396 Room JBF111 Claire Williamson PhD Lecturer (Forensic Science) e-mail: clwilliamson@uclan.ac.uk Ext 4152 Room MB128 Catherine Tennick BSc, PhD (Forensic Science)

Associate Lecturer (Forensic Science) e-mail: cjtennick@uclan.ac.uk Ext 4170 Room MB128

Claire Williamson BSc, MSc Associate Lecturer (Forensic Science) e-mail: clwilliamson@uclan.ac.uk Ext 4152 Room MB128

Michael Wysocki BA Hons, PhD (Archaeology) Academic Lead, Forensic Sciences E-mail: mpwysocki@uclan.ac.uk Ext 4389 Room JBF009

1.3 Academic Advisor You will be assigned an Academic Advisor who will provide additional academic support during the year. They will be the first point of call for many of the questions that you might have during the year. Your Academic Advisor will be able to help you with personal development, including developing skills in self-awareness, reflection and action planning.

1.4 Administration details Campus Admin Services provides academic administration support for students and staff and are located in the following hubs which open from 8.45am until 5.15pm

Monday to Thursday and until 4.00pm on Fridays. The hub can provide general assistance and advice regarding specific processes such as extenuating circumstances, extensions and appeals.

Foster Building Forensic and Applied Sciences Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences Psychology Physical Sciences telephone: 01772 891990/891991 email: FosterHub@uclan.ac.uk

1.6 Communication The University expects you to use your UCLan email address and check regularly for messages from staff. If you send us email messages from other addresses they risk being filtered out as potential spam and discarded unread. Staff aim to reply to emails within one working day. Appointments can usually be made to speak to staff personally via email,

although some staff invite you to knock on their door if you are passing their office. 1.7 External Examiner

The University has appointed an External Examiner to your course who helps to ensure that the standards of your course are comparable to those provided at other higher education institutions in the UK. The name of this person, their position and home institution can be found below. If you wish to make contact with your External Examiner, you should do this through your Course Leader and not directly. You can access the external examiners report via the Course site on Blackboard.

The School will also send a sample of student coursework to the external examiner(s) for external moderation purposes, once it has been marked and internally moderated by the course tutors. The sample will include work awarded the highest and lowest marks and awarded marks in the middle range. Mr Martin Holleran Senior Lecturer in Policing Studies York St. John University

2. Structure of the course

2.1 Overall structure

How the course is put together

Like most degree courses this course is modular. This means that it is split up into particular areas of study, which are studied and assessed separately. The degree is therefore a lot more flexible and you can choose from a number of options: it also means that there are no ‘final exams’ covering the whole of the three year course. To achieve an Honours degree, full-time students must pass 18 modules over the three years of the course: i.e. 6 modules per year.

Most of the modules that you will take are ‘single modules’: that is they count as ‘1 Module’.

You will see modules described by both a title and code number. The module code consists of 2 letters and four digits e.g. FZ 1041 (FZ = Forensic Science). The first digit is the level of the module, which for full-time students is also the year of study.

The academic year is divided into 2 semesters. The exact dates of these semesters vary slightly, but generally semester 1 runs from mid- September to January, semester 2 from January to around the end of May.

There is a foundation entry route available for this course. For more details on this year of study, please refer to the programme specification detailed in section 8 of this handbook.

How the Course is Managed

At the front of this handbook you will find the names, telephone numbers, email addresses and room numbers of key people involved in the running of the Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation course. Do not hesitate to contact them if you are unclear about anything.

The BSc (Hons) Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation course has a Course Leader who is responsible for planning and co-ordinating course delivery. The Course Leader is deryck

Sharples, room JBF106 tel 01772 894397, email dsharples2@uclan.ac.uk. You should see the course leader if there is anything going on with you that cannot be handled by a module tutor, academic advisor or retention tutor.

Each module you will study has a Module Tutor. The Module Tutor is responsible for the planning, delivery and assessment of the module. In some cases the Course Leader may also be the Module Tutor. You should see the module tutor about any issues to do with their module (coursework, revision, etc.).

The Course Leader, Retention Tutor, Module Tutors and other lecturing staff form the Course Team, which meets regularly to review the progress of the Course and take account of your comments - both positive and negative. Adjustments will be made to the delivery of the Course if the Team feel that changes are necessary to make delivery and/or organisation better. At the end of the academic year all modules undergo review.

The University operates a quality assurance scheme, which requires the Course Leader to report periodically to the Head of School to keep them in touch with progress. Every year the Course Leader submits a detailed report to the Head of School Your comments are important to the successful running and evolution of the course and its delivery. For this reason you will be asked to meet with your fellow students and elect two Course Representatives from each year. They will meet with the Course Team (called the Staff Student Liaison Committee) once a semester to represent the views of the students. This is one route for your comments to be discussed and fed into the system. We will report how we have dealt with your comments back to the next meeting of the Staff Student Liaison Committee and minutes will be posted on the notice board.

We also encourage you to feedback comments to the Course Team on an ad hoc basis. Your feelings and thoughts are valuable and we want to hear them.

2.2 Modules available Each module is a self-contained block of learning with defined aims, learning outcomes and assessment. A standard module is worth 20 credits. It equates to the learning activity expected from one sixth of a full-time undergraduate year. Modules may be developed as half or double modules with credit allocated up to a maximum of 120 credits per module.

Year 1 In your first year at University you will study: police structures and powers; the English legal system; sources and types of law; human rights; criminal offences; crime scene science and forensic science. You will also learn and develop study skills in communication and the use of the library and electronic sources of material.

You will have a choice to make at the start of the course: whether, as part of the forensic science element of the course you wish to specialise in forensic anthropology or crime scene investigation. The subjects you have chosen to study at ‘A’ Level, or your own career aspirations or interests, may dictate your choice. That decision is important because once you have embarked on one route you will have to stay on it for the rest of the degree.

Unlike some courses, you are not required to choose an additional subject unrelated to your course to study as an elective (free choice) module. In effect, your choice of forensic anthropology or crime scene investigation stands as your elective module. However, there

are a number of personal development teaching sessions and workshops that are available to you outside normal teaching hours and you are encouraged to take advantage of these. Your academic advisor will provide further details of these at the beginning of the course.

Module Title Module Size

Year or Semester

Compulsory (COMP) or Optional (O)

FZ1034 Volume Crime Scene Science 1 Year COMP FZ1048 Introduction to Policing 1 Year COMP

FZ1044 Study Skills for Criminal Investigation

1 Year COMP

FZ1050 Introduction to Criminal Investigation 2 Year COMP And one of the following:

FZ1036 Crime Scene Photography 1 Year O FZ1054 Anthropology for Forensic Scientists

1 Year O

Year 2 In the second year you will study: criminal investigation; photography; crime scene science; criminalistics (forensic science); research methods and forensic practice. These aspects are all pertinent to the role of investigators engaged in the practice of criminal investigation. Dependent on the choice you made in your first year of study, you will also be required to take a further module in either forensic anthropology or crime scene investigation.

Module Module Size

Semester or Year

Compulsory (COMP) or Optional (O)

FZ2030 Criminalistics 1 Year COMP FZ2263 Forensic Practice 2 Year COMP FZ2061 Research Methods 1 Year COMP And one of the following pairs:

FZ2037 Advanced Crime Scene Investigation and

1 Year O

FZ2053 Advanced Photography 1 Sem 1 O FZ2051 Forensic Anthropology 1 Year O FZ2052 The Science and Management of Death 1 Year O

Year 3 In your final year there are some compulsory modules and some optional modules. All students study the application of forensic science and modules in their own forensic science specialisation. Also, you are required to research and produce a double module dissertation on a subject related to forensic science or criminal investigation. This gives you the opportunity to undertake independent research on a related subject of your choice and to produce a significant piece of written work. Then there are the PCI modules:

• Fraud and Asset Recovery • Policing Cybercrime • Major Crime Inquiries • International Humanitarian and Criminal Law • Counter Terrorism

You must take one of these modules. If you are unsure which of them are best suited to your intended career, you should seek advice from your academic advisor.

Module Module

Size Year or Semester

Compulsory (COMP) or Optional (O)

FZ3035 Application of Forensic Science 1 Year COMP

And one of the following : FZ3501 Forensic Science Dissertation

2 Year O

FZ3940 Policing and Criminal Investigation Dissertation

2 Year O

And any one of the following : FZ3041 Major Crime Inquiries 1 Year O FZ3042 Policing Cybercrime 1 Year O FZ3046 Fraud & Asset Recovery 1 Year O FZ3049 International Humanitarian and Criminal Law 1 Year O

FZ3050 Counter Terrorism 1 Year O FZ3056 Major Operations 1 Year O FZ3059 Investigating Exploitation 1 Year O Plus either Stream One: FZ3038 Crime Scene Management 2 Year O Stream Two: FZ3057 Forensic Taphonomic Traces 1 Sem 1 O FZ3053 Human Remains Recovery 1 Sem 2 O

A brief description of the component modules for each of the three years can be found in Appendix 8.2. Further information about each of the modules, including reading lists, will be found in the module booklet that you will receive at the start of each module.

The full list of options indicated may not all be delivered every year, and this may depend on how many students choose that particular option. When accepting your offer of a place to study on this course, you are accepting that not all of these options will be running. At (or before) the start of each year, you will have an opportunity to discuss your course and preferred options with your tutor. The University will do all it reasonably can to ensure that you are able to undertake your preferred options.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

If you consider that you may have already achieved some of the learning outcomes of the course through previous learning, please consult your course leader and gain advice from the APL Unit to find out whether you can make a claim for accreditation of prior learning for part of your course.

Part Time Students

Part-time students typically take 4 modules each year. An individual programme will be worked out for each student to fit in with their needs and the pre-requisite requirements of any of the modules

2.4 Module Registration Options Discussions about your progression through the course normally take place in February each year. It is an opportunity for you to make plans for your study over the next academic year. The course team will tell you about the various modules / combinations available and you will both agree on the most appropriate (and legal) course of study for you.

A progression talk will be held by the Course Leader in February explaining which modules you should study next year, and what options are available to you.

2.5 Study Time 2.5.1 Weekly timetable A timetable will be available once you have enrolled on the programme, through the student portal.

2.5.2 Expected hours of study 20 credits is a standard module size and equals 200 notional learning hours. As a rough guide The normal amount of work involved in achieving a successful outcome to your studies is to study for 10 hours per each credit you need to achieve – this includes attendance at UCLan and time spent in private study.

On average, then, you should be planning to do between 36 and 40 hours per week. Any lesser commitment is unlikely to produce a good degree. You should bear this in mind if you intend to undertake part-time employment or pursue other interests outside the curriculum.

There is no check on this, no-one to test whether you are doing the private study – but it will become apparent at exam time if you have not!

2.5.3 Attendance Requirements You are required to attend all timetabled learning activities for each module. Notification of illness or exceptional requests for leave of absence must be made to: FosterHubAttendance@uclan.ac.uk or by telephoning the hub on 01772 891990 or 01772 891991.

Exceptional requests for leave must be made to the Programme Coordinator or nominee (usually the Course Leader). You should contact the Admin Hub as above and your request will be forwarded to the appropriate person.

For International Students under the Visas and Immigration (UKVI) Points Based System (PBS) - you MUST attend your course of study regularly; under PBS, UCLan is obliged to tell UKVI if you withdraw from a course, defer or suspend your studies, or if you fail to attend the course regularly.

Unauthorised absence is not acceptable and may attract academic penalties and/or other penalties. Some practical sessions may involve assessed work, so if you miss the practical without good reason you will attract a score of 0% in that assessment. In the event of absence due to illness, a medical certificate must be produced.

If you have not gained the required authorisation for leave of absence, do not respond to communications from the University and if you are absent for four weeks or more, you may be deemed to have withdrawn from the course. If this is the case, then the date of withdrawal will be recorded as the last day of attendance. Your attendance at classes will be monitored using the Student Attendance Monitoring system (SAM) and you can check your attendance record through MyUCLan.

Each time you are asked to enter your details on SAM you must remember that the University has a responsibility to keep information up to date and that you must only enter your own details on the system. To enter any other names would result in inaccurate records and be dishonest. Any student who is found to make false entries can be disciplined under the student guide to regulations.

3. Approaches to teaching and learning 3.1 1 Learning and teaching methods The course is delivered in a variety of teaching/learning methods. There are formal lectures followed up by small group tutorials in which the subject of the lecture is explored in detail. Practical skills are developed through role-plays and practical sessions. Investigative skills are learned from on-going scenarios based on real investigations of major crimes.

Most of the course is delivered by university staff but where appropriate experts in their own field are brought in to speak with authority from their own experience and expertise.

As with all university education you are responsible for your own learning; the lectures are merely the starting point and you will have to undertake a substantial amount of study in order to succeed.

3.2 Study skills

All of the courses within the school have a study skills module to assist with the development of your academic and employability skills. There are a variety of other services that support schools and these include WISER http://www.uclan.ac.uk/students/study/wiser/index.php

3.3. Electronic Resources Extensive resources are available to support your studies provided by LIS – library and IT staff. Take advantage of the free training sessions designed to enable you to gain all the skills you need for your research and study.

3.4 Personal development planning

While you are at university, you will learn many things. You already expect to learn lots of facts and techniques to do with criminal investigation, but you will also learn other things of which you might be unaware. You will learn how to study, how to work with other people, how to manage your time to meet deadlines, and so on. If you are to be an employable graduate it is vital that you can list in your CV the skills that employers value.

Employers are looking for skills such as:

• self-organisation • team work • good written communication • good oral communication • problem solving

To help you, we have introduced a system that aims to:

• help you to identify the skills you should be developing, • help you to identify the ones you are weak in, and • to take action to improve those skills.

This approach can broadly be described as Personal Development Planning, and can be defined as:

A structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development.

The University puts a high priority on your personal development, and so keeping a record of your achievements is encouraged and will help when you are applying for jobs. When you ask staff for a reference, they could use this information to help them provide more rounded detail.

3.5 Preparing for your career Career Opportunities

Having been successful and gained your degree, perhaps the most important question is, what jobs can you apply for? As students take core modules from both the Forensic Science course and the Police and Criminal Investigation

course, they are well placed for careers in both these areas, as well as Crime Scene Investigation.

Crime Scene Investigation CSI’s are civilians employed by the police to carry out the examination and investigation of crime scenes. It can be a very demanding and sometimes stressful, but rewarding career. Vacancies are usually advertised in texts such as Police Review magazine. Successful

applicants are then sent for training by the National College of Policing at Harperley Hall, Durham. It is usual for personnel to initially be trained as Volume Crime Scene Investigators (VCSI’s). This short course enables the VCSI to examine scenes of volume crime such as crimes involving vehicles. After a period of time working in their Constabulary the VCSI may be eligible to apply for the post of CSI, where upon they will be sent for further training by the College.

Forensic Science Some of the main employers of forensic scientists in the UK include LGC Forensics, Key Forensics and Cellmark Orchid. They provide a service to the Police, HM Revenue and Customs and the Crown Prosecution Services. Scotland has an independent Forensic Science Service and other independent laboratories exist on a smaller scale. In addition many Police Forces employ their own forensic scientists to carry out analysis “in-house”.

A good Honours degree in science or technology is invariably the minimum requirement for appointment as a potential court-going officer in any of the laboratories mentioned, and more frequently postgraduate qualifications are also required.

Graduates should realise that for all of the above options it is usual to initially work alongside more senior staff and undertake further specialist training when and if their individual progress warrants it. Competition for posts such as those described is extremely high but this course is ideally suited to such careers.

Police Personnel Successful students will also be ideally placed for a career in the police, having studied several core modules of the Police and Criminal Investigation course. They will also find themselves to be much more forensically aware than other police personnel, proving a valuable asset to their Constabulary.

Your University experience is not only about achieving your chosen award, it is also about developing as a person and realising your potential. We want you to gain the skills and attitudes that will help you to achieve your goals and aspirations.

Your future is important to us, so to make sure that you achieve your full potential whilst at university and beyond, your course has been designed with employability learning integrated into it. This is not extra to your degree, but an important part of it which will help you to show future employers just how valuable your degree is. These “Transferable Skills” take you on a journey of development that will help you to write your own personal story of your time at university:

• To begin with, you will explore your identity, your likes and dislikes, the things that

are important to you and what you want to get out of life. • Later, you will investigate a range of options including jobs and work

experience, postgraduate study and self- employment, • You will then be ready to learn how to successfully tackle the recruitment

process. Careers offers a range of support for you including:-

• career and employability advice and guidance appointments • support to find work placements, internships, voluntary opportunities, part-time

employment and live projects • workshops, seminars, modules, certificates and events to develop your skills

Daily drop in service available from 09:00-17:00 for CV checks and initial careers information. For more information come along and visit the team (in Foster building near the main entrance) or access our careers and employability resources via the Student Portal

4. Student Support

Perhaps the most important thing that the School of Forensic and Applied Sciences will give you is support. We will guide you through the subject and instil in you the critical and enquiring characteristics required of an investigator.

In your course you will be presented with a vast amount of information and knowledge. Equally important, though, is the manner in which you develop as an individual over that period, and the skills you acquire which can be used other than in investigative work. Employers are looking for skills such as:

• self-organisation • assertiveness • good communication skills • team work • problem solving

Who do I ask for Help/Guidance/Advice?

Any problems you may choose to discuss with a member of staff, academic or otherwise, will be treated in strict confidence and will not be divulged to anyone without your permission (including parents). It is highly unlikely that you will have a problem we have not encountered before.

The important thing is not to sit on a problem and hope it will go away – it will not! As to whom you should ask, that depends on the nature of the problem:

• Learning/teaching in a module. Each module has a Module Tutor – a member of staff responsible for that module. The Module Tutor will be your first port of call for questions about the learning/teaching within the module.

• Which options to take – Electives – structure of your course – progression (moving from year to year). These are questions for your academic advisor. He or she will meet with you at the start of the course and will remain your academic advisor throughout your time throughout the course.

• Welfare, money, housing, health, personal problems. The 'i' is a central Student

Information Centre and your first point of contact. You can obtain information on a wide range of topics including Council Tax Exemption Certificates, Bank and Confirmation of Study Letters, Portable Financial Credits, (continuing students only, Printing and Printer Credit, UCLan Cards, the ‘I’ shop and UCLan Financial Support Bursary (first year students only). .

• Administrative questions. The Admin Hub (Foster 058). Can help you with your academic records and other administrative matters.

Health and Safety

As a student of the University you are responsible for the safety of yourself and for that of others around you. You must understand and follow all the regulations and safety codes necessary for a safe campus environment. Please help to keep it safe by reporting any incidents,

accidents or potentially unsafe situations to a member of staff as soon as possible. Safety assessments have been undertaken for each module of your course and you will be advised of all applicable safety codes and any specific safety issues during the induction to your course and modules. You must ensure that you understand and apply all necessary safety codes. These form an essential element of your personal development and contribute to the safety of others.

In particular, laboratories are hazardous areas unless all safety regulations are known and implemented. Specific details of the School safety policies are given to you in separate safety documentation. In particular you should note the requirement that laboratory coats and safety glasses should be worn at all times in the laboratory. Safety glasses are not required when the laboratory is used only for data handling exercises.

Conduct

You will be expected to abide by the Regulations for the Conduct of Students in the University. UCLan expects you to behave in a respectful manner demonstrated by using appropriate language in class, and switching mobile phones / other devices off prior to attending classes.

If your behaviour is considered to be unacceptable, any member of staff is able to issue an informal oral warning and the University will support staff by invoking formal procedures where necessary. You can read more about UCLan expectations in the regulations for the Conduct of Students.

Students’ Union

The Students’ Union is the representative body for all UCLan students. The organisation exists separately from the University and is led by the elected officers of the Student Affairs Committee (SAC) as well as representatives on the Students’ Council. The Students’ Union building is located at the heart of the Preston campus, and is the hub for all student activities.

Representation and campaigning for students’ rights is at the core of what we do and is encompassed by our tag line of, Making Life Better for Students. Should you wish to make a change to any aspect of your student experience, whether it be academically related or not, then the Union is where your voice can be heard, actions taken, or campaigns launched.

Your Union is also the home to a fantastic range of student-led societies, sports teams and multitudes of volunteering opportunities. You can also receive help in finding part- time work, whilst you study. Not sure where to go? Pop into the Opportunities Centre on the ground floor of the Students’ Union building and someone will point you in the right direction.

We hope your time at University is trouble free, but should you come into difficulties around anything from academic appeals, to issues with housing, benefits or debt, then our dedicated staff team in the Advice and Representation Centre are on hand to help. As we are independently run from the university, we can offer truly impartial advice.

More information on all these things, as well as details about all our (not-for-profit) commercial services, including our student supermarket (Essentials) and student-bar (Source) can be found at http://www.uclansu.co.uk/.

Where do I get Information? BlackBoard will be used to provide you with nearly all the information you need. You should see the BlackBoard space for your course for your timetables, information on progression, details of exams etc.

In addition ‘Year notice boards’ are located in Maudland Building, on the first floor outside MB114. These notice boards will give you general information such as any last minute changes in arrangements, details of exams, details of your retention tutor and will also direct you to more specific notice boards elsewhere. It is your responsibility to check that board daily to find out things that affect you.

Every student has an e-mail address at the university and we will disseminate information via that medium so you must check your inbox on a daily basis.

4.1 Academic Advisors You will be assigned an Academic advisor who will assist with Academic related problems. You will find out more about them and their role in induction week.

They are responsible for providing you with support and advice in relation

to your programme of studies, assistance in accessing other services available to students within the University, and to offer whatever help and assistance they can to make your time at the University a satisfying and stimulating experience. Their job is not to have all the answers but they will be able to direct you to the person or place where they can be found. Your academic advisor should be supportive, helpful and try to understand (but not necessarily share) your point of view when you need advice. At times it may be necessary for them to challenge you over your progress, performance or attendance, but it is not their role to constantly monitor you in these areas as may have happened at school or college.

You should meet your academic advisor during induction week and time has been allocated on the induction timetable to enable to you do this. During this meeting you should make arrangements about the process by which future regular contact will be maintained. You should meet with your academic advisor regularly. You should have at least four meetings in Year 1, with at least three of these being ‘one to one’ meetings. There should be at least three contacts in Year 2, one of which should be ‘one to one’ and two during Year 3.

There will be appointment sheets by staff offices so that you can arrange meetings either by booking an appointment or emailing them (details of this are at the front of the booklet). Throughout the year contact with your academic advisor is usually maintained through e-mail, you should check your UNIVERSITY e-mail account regularly.

Both you and your tutors should keep appropriate records of meetings and this may form part of your Personal Development Process.

If you need to get advice in an emergency or when your academic advisor is not available then you can go and see your retention tutor or course leader, or go to the School Hub in Foster Building and staff there will endeavor to find a member of staff who can deal with your enquiry.

4.2 Students with disabilities

If you have a disability that may affect your studies, please either contact the Disability Advisory Service - disability@uclan.ac.uk - or let one of the course team know as soon as possible. With your agreement information will be passed on to the Disability Advisory Service. The University will make reasonable adjustments to accommodate your needs and to provide appropriate support for you to complete your study successfully. Where necessary, you will be asked for evidence to help identify appropriate adjustments. Arrangements are made for students who have a disability/learning difficulty for which valid supporting evidence can be made available. Contact the Disability Adviser for advice and information, disability@uclan.ac.uk

The School has a named lead for students with disabilities - Arati Iyengar. Arati’s contact details can be found at the beginning of this book and you can contact her direct for further advice/support.

4.3 Students’ Union

The Students’ Union offers thousands of volunteering opportunities ranging from representative to other leadership roles. We also advertise paid work and employ student staff on a variety of roles. You can find out more information on our website: http://www.uclansu.co.uk/

5. Assessment 5.1 Assessment Strategy

Please note that all modules will be assessed. You are expected to attempt all required assessments for each module for which you are registered, and to do so at the times scheduled unless authorised extensions, special arrangements for disability, or extenuating circumstances allow you to defer your assessment.

The Course team recognise the main purpose of assessment as:

• the diagnosis of strengths and weaknesses of individual students; • encouragement to students to be involved in determining their own

performance; • evaluation as to whether or not the student has met the learning outcomes of the

module and programme in order to progress to the next level or achieve an exit award.

Assessment is continuous and uses both formative and summative methods.

Formative assessment relates to the continuing and systematic appraisal of the degree of learning. This helps you by providing feedback on the appropriateness of your study skills in meeting the learning objectives. It also assists the academic staff by providing information as to the appropriateness of the learning environment in facilitating student learning. Formative assessment includes assessment strategies that encourage the student and tutor to build on the student’s strengths and to plan remedial help to correct identified weaknesses. Formative assessment encourages the development of personal self-awareness and self-evaluation such that corrective change can be instigated by the individual.

The nature of formative assessment varies between modules. In some there are short tests or essays, while in others there is informal feedback via activities such as tutorials or discussion of experiment results during laboratory sessions.

It is important that we try to match assessment to the learning outcomes of each module. Sometimes we need to assess how well you have assimilated facts, sometimes we need to assess your understanding, and at other times your application of the facts. Often we need to test all of these learning outcomes at once. In addition, we need to assess skills, such as your ability to communicate your ideas.

The assessment methods and what we are trying to assess by the particular method are shown below:

Examinations Short answer questions are usually looking for how well you have

learned factual information. Essay questions are looking for your understanding and critical analysis skills.

Presentations Your presentational skills under pressure are being assessed here, as is the ability to think on your feet using the facts that you have learned.

Role-plays These sessions are important in providing you with the opportunity to put

skills that you have learned into practice. You will be placed in a number of situations, with familiar and unknown individuals, and often video-taped and recorded for later feedback purposes. Some sessions will be assessed by peer and staff appraisal.

Essays Non-examination situation essays assess your understanding of the

subject as well as your research, written communication and critical analysis skills.

Case studies These assess the application of theory to practical situations. They

also assess either your written or oral presentation skills when communicating your deliberations to the class or marker.

Dissertation This assesses the application of the information that you have gained

and assesses your skills in bringing a large body of work together in a concise coherent report.

You will find a detailed breakdown of the assessments in the individual module booklets.

Presentation of Written Work

The way in which you present your work will be taken into account when arriving at the final grade for the assessment. To assist you in this regard, refer to the Student Guide to Assessment, produced by the School that accompanies this handbook.

5.2 Notification of assignments and examination arrangements

When will the assessments take place?

We will try to spread the assessment load. Nevertheless, it is important that you plan your work around the assessment timetable. For this reason we will provide you with an assessment timetable at the beginning of each semester.

Assessment arrangements for students with a disability

Arrangements are made for students who have a disability/learning difficulty for which valid supporting evidence can be made available. Contact the Disability Adviser for advice and information: disability@uclan.ac.uk.

Submission of Assessments

Normally all work should be submitted through BlackBoard and Turnitin. Information about the requirements for individual assessments and their respective deadlines for submission/examination arrangements will be provided in the assignment brief or in the module booklet that will be posted on BlackBoard.

All work should be submitted with a completed assessed work cover sheet with the declaration signed. These assessed work cover sheets can be obtained on the module and course pages on BlackBoard.

Once the work has a FULLY completed and signed cover sheet attached, it should be submitted through the assignment drop-box on BlackBoard.

Deadlines for Assessments In the workplace you will be faced with many deadlines. Assessment deadlines will help you to develop a personal ethos, which will enable you to cope with tight work schedules. We expect work to be handed in on time.

A deadline is set at a particular time on a particular day and work submitted after this time without an extension granted by the relevant retention tutor will be penalised.

If you submit work late and unauthorised, a universal penalty will be applied in relation to your work:

• If you submit work within 5 working days following the published submission date you will obtain the minimum pass mark for that element of assessment.

• Work submitted later than 5 working days after the published submission date will be awarded a mark of 0% for that element of assessment.

• Unauthorised late submission at resubmission will automatically be awarded a mark of 0% for that element of assessment

If you have problems that prevent you meeting a deadline for submission, it is imperative that you contact the retention tutor before the deadline expires. The contact details can be found on the relevant noticeboard outside MB114.

This regulation is not intended to be draconian. However, since in most cases work will be returned to students with specimen answers and feedback, it would delay the return of coursework to the rest of the group if this regulation were not adhered to. Rather than disadvantage the majority of students for the sake of the few, this regulation will be strictly implemented.

Extensions

Assignments must be submitted no later than the date on your assignment brief. If you anticipate that you will have difficulty in meeting assessment deadlines or you have missed or are likely to miss in-semester tests you must report this at the earliest possible opportunity to the relevant module tutor or course leader.

Authorisation of the late submission of work requires written permission. Your School is authorised to give permission for one extension period of between 1 and 10 working days where appropriate evidence of good reason has been accepted and where submission within this timescale would be reasonable taking into account your circumstances (Academic Regulations).

We aim to let you know if the extension has been granted within 1 working day of the receipt of the request. If you are unable to submit work within 10 working days after the submission date due to verifiable extenuating circumstances, you may submit a case for consideration in accordance with the University’s Policies and Procedures on Extenuating Circumstances (Academic Regulations and Assessment Handbook).

Extenuating Circumstances

Some students face significant events in their personal life that occur after their course has started, which have a greater impact on their students than can be solved by the use of an extension. If this applies to you, the University is ready to support you both with regard to your course and your personal wellbeing through a process called Extenuating Circumstances (see Academic Regulations and Assessment Handbook).

Normally extenuating circumstances will relate to a change in your circumstances since

you commenced your course, which have had a significant, adverse effect on your studies. Everyday occurrences such as colds or known conditions such as hay- fever will not qualify unless the effects are unusually severe and this is corroborated by a medical note. The University does not look sympathetically on absences or delays caused by holiday commitments or by work commitments in the case of full-time students. The normal work commitments of part-time students would not constitute an extenuating circumstance. A disability or learning difficulty does not constitute an extenuating circumstance (see Academic Regulations).

Further information is available on the Student Portal at: https://www.uclan.ac.uk/students/study/examinations_and_awards/extenuating_circu mstances.php

You can apply for extenuating circumstances online via myUCLan. You must apply no later than 3 days after any examination or assessment submission date. Do not wait until you receive your assessment results to submit a claim. It is in your own interests to submit the claim as soon as possible.

You will be expected to re-submit claims for extenuating circumstances for each semester. All evidence that is provided relating to extenuating circumstances will be treated in a sensitive and confidential manner. Supporting evidence will not be kept for longer than is necessary and will be destroyed shortly after the end of the current academic year.

Further information about the submission process is available at: https://www.uclan.ac.uk/students/study/examinations_and_awards/extenuating_circu mstance_submission.php In determining assessment recommendations, Assessment Boards will consider properly submitted claims from students who believe their performance has been adversely affected by extenuating circumstances. N.B. Assessment Boards are not permitted to alter individual assessment marks to take account of extenuating circumstances (Academic Regulations and Assessment Handbook)

What if I fail a Module?

If you fail a module the Assessment Board may offer reassessment (of coursework, examination or both), or may exercise its discretion to compensate the failure of a module in circumstances such as significant and acceptable extenuating circumstances where the learning outcomes have still been met. In the latter case you will be allowed to progress as if you had passed the module. This decision is taken at the discretion of the Board (in line with the University Regulations) and will depend upon the specific circumstances surrounding the failure.

However, the dissertation cannot be compensated in this respect and there are strict limits on the number of modules that can be compensated within each Stage of any degree programme. A compensated module is still regarded as a fail, but an exit award may then be made.

5.3 Referencing FSCI students are required to know two referencing systems; Harvard and OSCOLA. Harvard is the universally accepted method of referencing material in a written piece of work, e.g.

McCarthy, P. and Hatcher, C. (1996) Speaking persuasively: Making the most of your presentations, Sydney: Allen and Unwin.

OSCOLA is the standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities. For example; Author,

Title in Italics (series title, edition Publisher, date) page

• D Ormerod, Smith & Hogan: Criminal Law (11th edn OUP, 2005) 123 • Graham Gooch & Michael Williams, Oxford Dictionary of Law Enforcement

(OUP, 2007) • Tom Cobbley and others, The Road to Widdecombe (Bodley Head, 1962)

5.4 Cheating, plagiarism, collusion or re-presentation Please refer to the information included in section 6.6 of the University Student Handbook for full definitions. The University uses an online Assessment Tool called Turnitin. A pseudo- Turnitin assignment will be set up using the School space on Blackboard to allow students to check as many drafts as the system allows before their final submission to the ‘official’ Turnitin assignment. Students are required to self-submit their own assignment on Turnitin and will be given access to the Originality Reports arising from each submission. In operating Turnitin, Schools must take steps to ensure that the University’s requirement for all summative assessment to be marked anonymously is not undermined and therefore Turnitin reports should either be anonymised or considered separately from marking. Turnitin may also be used to assist with plagiarism detection and collusion, where there is suspicion about individual piece(s) of work.

You are required to sign a declaration indicating that individual work submitted for an assessment is your own.

If you attempt to influence the standard of the award you obtain through cheating, plagiarism or collusion, it will be considered as a serious academic and disciplinary offence as described within the Academic Regulations and the Assessment Handbook .

• Cheating is any deliberate attempt to deceive and covers a range of offences described in the Assessment Handbook.

• Plagiarism describes copying from the works of another person without suitably

attributing the published or unpublished works of others. This means that all quotes, ideas, opinions, music and images should be acknowledged and referenced within your assignments.

• Collusion is an attempt to deceive the examiners by disguising the true authorship of

an assignment by copying, or imitating in close detail another student’s work - this includes with the other student’s consent and also when 2 or more students divide the elements of an assignment amongst themselves and copy one another’s answers. It does not include the normal situation in which you learn from your peers and share ideas, as this generates the knowledge and understanding necessary for each individual to independently undertake an assignment; nor should it be confused with group work on an assignment which is specifically authorised in the assignment brief.

• Re-presentation is an attempt to gain credit twice for the same piece of work.

Normally you will be required to submit your assignment through BlackBoard and Turnitin and its contents will automatically be scanned against a variety of resources to check the original source of the material.

The process of investigation and penalties which will be applied can be reviewed in the Assessment Handbook. If an allegation is found to be proven then the appropriate penalty will be implemented:

In the case of a single offence of cheating, plagiarism, collusion or re-presentation:

• the penalty will be 0% for the element of assessment, and an overall fail for the module.

• the plagiarised element of assessment must be resubmitted to the required standard and the mark for the module following resubmission will be restricted to the minimum pass mark.

• when it is detected for the first time on a resubmission for an already failed module, no further resubmission for the module will be permitted, and the appropriate fail grade will be awarded.

In the event of a repeat offence of cheating, plagiarism, collusion or re-presentation (irrespective of whether the repeat offence involves the same form of unfair means) on the same or any other module within the course:

• the appropriate penalty will be 0% for the module with no opportunity for re-

assessment. This penalty does not preclude you being able to retake the module in a subsequent year.

The penalties will apply if you transfer from one UCLan course to another during your period of study and module credits gained on the former course are transferred to the current course.

Contact the Students’ Union Advice and Representation Centre by emailing: suadvice@uclan.ac.uk for support and guidance.

This may have severe implications for your ability to complete your course of study.

You can find more about the various forms of plagiarism and how to avoid it in the following publications:

Bone, Alison, Plagiarism: a guide for law lecturers, UK Centre for Legal Education, 28th October 2003 (www.ukcle.ac.uk/resources/plagiarism.html). Smith, Jean et al, How to avoid plagiarism (www.northwestern.edu/uacc/plagiar.html ). Extract from University of Brighton Student Guide, All my own work? Plagiarism and how to avoid it, UK Centre for Legal Education, 12th July 2003 (http://www.ukcle.ac.uk/resources/trns/plagiarism/guide.html). Writing Tutorial Services, Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA (http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.pdf).

6. Classification of Awards The University publishes the principles underpinning the way in which awards and results are decided in Academic Regulations. Decisions about the overall classification of awards are made by Assessment Boards through the application of the academic and relevant course regulations.

7. Student Feedback

for improvement.

You can play an important part in the process of improving the quality of this course through the feedback you give In addition to the on-going discussion with the course team throughout the year, there are a range of mechanisms for you to feedback about your experience of teaching and learning. We aim to respond to your feedback and let you know of our plan

The Students’ Union can support you in voicing your opinion, provide on-going advice and support, and encourage your involvement in all feedback opportunities. They will be asking that you complete the National Student Survey (during semester 2 for students in their final year of study) or the UCLan Student Survey (all other students).

The Students’ Union and University work closely together to ensure that the student voice is heard in all matters of student-life. We encourage students to provide constructive feedback throughout their time at university, through course reps, surveys and any other appropriate means,

The Union’s Student Affairs Committee (SAC), members of Students’ Council and School Presidents each have particular representative responsibilities, and are involved with decision making committees as high as the University Board. Therefore it is very important students engage with the democratic processes of the Students’ Union and elect the students they see as most able to represent them.

The SEA and the Students Union can support you in voicing your opinion, provide on- going advice and support, and encourage your involvement in all feedback opportunities. They will be requesting that you complete the National Student Survey (during semester 2 for students in their final year of study). Other feedback mechanism exist, such as the SSLCs, which are mentioned below, and staff are encouraged to get module feedback either through feedback sessions or MEQ’s (Module Evaluation Questionnaires).

Course Representatives and School President

A course representative is a student who represents their fellow students’ views and opinions to the course team, school, university and students’ union. Course representatives work proactively and diplomatically to improve the academic and non- academic experiences of students. The role of a course representative is extremely beneficial to both students on your course and the university. It enables students to have ownership of their student experience and voice their opinions and share positive practice with the course team, primarily the Student Staff Liaison Committee Meetings (see below).

Course representatives will be elected every year either in April or September. Alongside receiving recognition, support and respect being a course representative is a great opportunity to enhance your employability skills. If you are interested in becoming a course representative and wish to find out more about the role visit the Students’ Union website or by emailing: coursereps@uclan.ac.uk.

School Presidents meanwhile are annually elected representatives who voice the opinions of students within each school. They communicate and engage with students in their school to gain feedback and work in partnership with senior management to create positive change. They are also trained to support and signpost course representatives where needed. If you wish to find out who is your School President or more about the role visit the Students’ Union website or email: coursereps@uclan.ac.uk.

7.1 Student Staff Liaison Committee meetings (SSLCs) Details of the Protocol for the operation of SSLCs is included in section 8.2 of the University Student Handbook. The purpose of a SSLC meeting is to provide the opportunity for course representatives to feedback to staff about the course, the overall student experience and to inform developments which will improve future courses. These meetings are normally scheduled once per semester.

Meetings will be facilitated using guidelines and a record of the meeting will be provided with any decisions and / or responses made and / or actions taken as a result of the discussions held. The meetings include discussion of items forwarded by course representatives, normally related to the following agenda items (dependent on time of year).

The course team encourage student feedback in all areas and recognise that additional items for discussion may also be raised at the meeting

• Update on actions completed since the last meeting • Feedback about the previous year – discussion of external examiner’s report;

outcomes of National /UCLan student surveys. • Review of enrolment / induction experience; • Course organisation and management (from each individual year group, and the

course overall); • Experience of modules - teaching, assessment, feedback; • Experience of academic support which may include e.g. Personal

Development Planning, academic advisor arrangements; • Other aspects of University life relevant to student experience e.g. learning

resources, IT, library; • Any other issues raised by students or staff.

Complaints

The University recognises that there may be occasions when you have cause for complaint about the service you have received, when this happens, the complaints procedure is intended to provide an accessible, fair and straightforward system which ensures an effective, prompt and appropriate response. Click on this link for more information Complaints Procedure.

8. Appendices

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE

Programme Specification

This Programme Specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.

Sources of information on the programme can be found in Section 16

1. Awarding Institution / Body

University of Central Lancashire

2. Teaching Institution and Location of Delivery

University of Central Lancashire, Preston

3. University School/Centre

School of Forensic and Applied Sciences

4. External Accreditation

Forensic Science Society

5. Title of Final Award

BSc (Hons) Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation

6. Modes of Attendance offered

Full Time, part time, Sandwich

7. UCAS Code

FM42

7 b) JACS Code F140

7 c) HECoS Code

101045

8. Relevant Subject Benchmarking Group(s)

No benchmarks currently apply

9. Other external influences

National Occupational Standards for Crime Investigators

10. Date of production/revision of this form

May 2019

11. Aims of the Programme • To foster the development of key academic, vocational and personal skills to prepare students for a

career as a crime scene or crime investigator, particularly with those domestic and international agencies which place a high reliance on scientific evidence in the identification and prosecution of offenders.

• To provide detailed contextual knowledge of subjects underpinning forensic and investigative science in the broad areas of law, criminal investigation, and one of anthropology or crime scene investigation.

• Through simulated experience of gathering evidence from both scientific and other sources, to develop the practical skills necessary to contribute to a criminal, crime scene and scientific examination.

• To provide practical experience of scientific and criminal investigations and forensic casework. • To foster the development of the transferable and key skills required for further academic and

vocational training and in employment, including communication and inter-personal skills. • To develop critical and analytical thought. 12. Learning Outcomes, Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods A. Knowledge and Understanding A1. Describe the principles relevant to criminal investigation and the court process, crime scene

science, forensic science and evidence gathering A2. Explain and apply the rules of domestic and international criminal law A3. Explain and evaluate the roles of the people within the English and international legal systems, A4. Correctly use the terminology and classification of law and criminal investigation A5. Apply the practical skills essential to a modern criminal investigation Teaching and Learning Methods Lectures (internal and invited speakers), tutorials and seminars; role-play sessions and simulations of crime scenes and incidents, problem oriented legal and practical case studies, practical demonstrations and exercises. Assessment methods Workbooks, essays, short notes, reports (e.g. practical reports), formal unseen written examinations, partially seen examinations, assessed role-plays, assessed seminars, group and individual presentations and a dissertation. B. Subject-specific skills B1. Apply range of practical techniques in the investigation of crime and the recovery, preservation and

documentation of scientific evidence B2. Critically evaluate evidence within the law of evidence and relate it to substantive law. B3. Describe and evaluate major concepts and principles of law. B4. Use the correct terminology, nomenclature and classification of law and criminal investigation. B5. Organise and conduct investigative interviews. B6. Assess and examine crime scenes and recover, analyse and interpret physical evidence. B7. Apply specialist knowledge of forensic practices to investigations and cases. B8. Work safely and effectively in the laboratory, at crime scenes and in simulated law enforcement

situations B9. Demonstrate skills in communication, independent thought, analysis and research, observation

and teamwork. Teaching and Learning Methods Lectures, tutorials, practical exercises, role-play, group work, laboratory classes with workbook or practical manuals. Assessment methods Examination, practical reports, case files and briefs of evidence, individual and group projects, dissertation, assessed seminars, written assignments. C. Thinking Skills C1. Select and analyse information from written, electronic and interview-based sources. C2. Formulate structured arguments, hypotheses and lines of enquiry, with the execution and critical

evaluation of these. C3. Evaluate and present the results of investigative studies. Teaching and Learning Methods Tutorials, academic guidance sessions, dissertation support, role-play sessions and simulations. Assessment methods

Work books, assessed role-play, group presentations, oral presentation, written assignments and examinations.

D. Other skills relevant to employability and personal development D1. Manage time and learning/work activities. D2. Work individually and in a group to solve ‘real world’ problems. D3. Learn independently, making use of written, electronic and human sources of information. D4. Communicate effectively. D5. Apply specialist knowledge of forensic practices to investigations and cases. D6. Perform calculations and appropriate statistical analysis. D7. Manage people and situations, such as crime scenes and incidents. D8. Analyse problems and generate a dissertation plan.

Teaching and Learning Methods Role-play, practical exercises, presentations, use of IT based assignments, evidence of appropriate IT sources; evidence of use of the library and literature searching; oral work in discussion and presentation; numeracy and statistics in association with problem solving. Students are given guidance on the development of keys skill by their academic advisors. Assessment methods Written reports; oral and visual presentation skills. Presentation of group work, dissertation. 13. Programme Structures*

14. Awards and Credits*

Level Module Code

Module Title Credit rating

Level 6 FZ3035 FZ3501* FZ3940* FZ3041 FZ3042 FZ3046 FZ3049 FZ3050 FZ3059 FZ3056 FZ3038 FZ3051 FZ3053

Application of Forensic Science And one of the following: Forensic Science Dissertation Policing and Criminal Investigation Dissertation And one of the following: Major Crime Inquiries Policing Cybercrime Fraud & Asset Recovery International Humanitarian and Criminal Law Counter Terrorism Investigating Exploitation Major Operations Plus one of: STREAM ONE Crime Scene Management STREAM TWO Forensic Taphanomic Traces Human Remains Recovery

20 (Comp)

40 (O) 40 (O)

20 (O) 20 (O) 20 (O) 20 (O

20(O) 20 (O) 20(O)

40 (O)

20 (O) 20 (O)

Bachelor Honours Degree in Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation Requires 360 credits at level 4 or above including a minimum of 220 at Level 5 or above and 100 at Level 6 Bachelor Degree in Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation Requires 320 credits at level 4 or above including a minimum of 180 at Level 5 or above and 60 at Level 6 Students who successfully complete the FZ2055 placement module will receive the award “in sandwich mode”

Level 5 FZ2030

FZ2263 FZ2061 FZ2037 FZ2053 FZ2051 FZ2052 FZ2055

Criminalistics* Forensic Practice* Research Methods And one of the following pairs; Stream One: Advanced Crime Scene Investigation & Advanced Photography OR Stream Two: Forensic Anthropology & The Science and Management of Death For a Sandwich award students will undertake the following module between years 2 and 3 assessed on a pass/fail basis: Placement Module

20 (Comp) 40 (Comp) 20 (Comp)

20 (O)

20 (O)

20 (O)

20 (O)

120

Diploma in Higher Education in Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation Requires 240 credits at Level 4 or above including a minimum of 100 at Level 5 or above

Level 4 FZ1034 FZ1048 FZ1044 FZ1050 FZ1036 FZ1054

Volume Crime Scene Science Introduction to Policing Study Skills for Criminal Investigation Introduction to Criminal Investigation And one of the following : Crime Scene Photography Introduction to Osteology and Anthropology

20 (Comp) 20 (Comp) 20 (Comp) 40 (Comp)

20 (O)

20 (O)

Certificate in Higher Education Requires 120 credits at Level 4 or above

Level 3 FZC013 LWC017 FZC071 FZC012 FZC001

Study Skills Key Issues in Law and Criminology Introduction to Forensic Science Professional Policing Investigation Project

30 30 20 20 20

Requires completion of 120 credits at Level 3. Successful completion of the course leads to progression on to Year 1 of: Bsc (Hons) Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation Students who exit after the Foundation year will receive a transcript of their modules and grades.

15. Personal Development Planning PDP is delivered and monitored through skills modules and the academic advisor system. Students are provided with a PDP handbook in electronic format and are introduced to the idea by their academic adviser Their academic adviser will then guide them throughout their time at university, both in constructing their PDP and in making sure that they are developing the right skills, helping them to identify and address any issues.

Each student sees their academic adviser for a small group tutorial where the academic adviser and other students will discuss a particular skill or employability issue. Typically the student will have prepared a document or done a task in preparation for the meeting. Topics targeted at meetings include time management and vocabulary developing at Level 4, ranging up to psychometric testing and help with job applications at Level 6. These tutorials help students to identify and develop their skills and also encourage a culture of confidence between tutee and academic adviser, so that if any specific problems arise with a student the academic adviser will be in a position to assist. The academic adviser topics are constantly reviewed and updated in response to current practice in the workplace and to feedback from academic advisers and tutees. academic advisers insist on seeing a completed PDP before writing references. 16 Admissions criteria * (including agreed tariffs for entry with advanced standing) *Correct as at date of approval. For latest information, please consult the University’s website. Applicants will normally be required to have, one of: BBC at A2, BTEC extended DMM, BTEC DD, Pass Access Course with 112 UCAS points, IB- Pass Diploma with 112 UCAS points including HL study In addition applicants will be required to have five GCSE passes at Grade C/4 or equivalent including Maths and English. Applicants will be required to have a minimum level of proficiency in English Language equivalent to IELTS grade 6 with no sub score lower than 5.5 Applications from individuals with non-standard qualifications, relevant work or life experience and who can demonstrate the ability to cope with and benefit from degree-level studies are welcome. If candidates have not studied recently they may be required to undertake an Access Programme. APL/APEL will be assessed through standard University procedures. FOUNDATION Year Entry Entry to this Programme requires, DDD at A2, BTEC extended MMP BTEC DM, Pass Access Course with 72 UCAS points, IB- Pass Diploma with 72 UCAS points including HL study In addition applicants will be required to have Maths and English GCSE at Grade C/4 or equivalent. International Applicants will be required to have a minimum level of proficiency in English Language equivalent to IELTS grade 6 with no sub score lower than 5.5. Please consult the website or UCLAN admissions department for the most up to date requirements. 17. Key sources of information about the programme • University web site (www.uclan.ac.uk) • UCAS web site (www.ucas.ac.uk) • School website (www.uclan.ac.uk/forensic) • Course Leader • Admissions tutor

A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 C1 C2 C3 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8

LEVE

L 6

FZ3035 Application of Forensic Science

COMP

FZ3501 Forensic Science Dissertation

O(1)

FZ3940

Policing and Criminal Investigation Dissertation

O(2)

FZ3041 Major Crime Inquiries O

FZ3042 Policing Cybercrime O

FZ3046 Fraud and Asset Recovery O

FZ3049 International Humanitarian & Criminal Law

O

FZ3059 Investigating Exploitation O

FZ3056 Major Operations O

FZ3050 Counter Terrorism O

FZ3038 Crime Scene Management

O

FZ3051 Forensic Taphonomic Traces

O

FZ3053 Human Remains Recovery

O

LEVE

L 5

FZ2030 Criminalistics COMP

FZ2263 Forensic Practice COMP

FZ2061 Research Methods COMP

FZ2037 Advanced Crime Scene Investigation

O

FZ2051 Forensic Anthropology O

FZ2052 The Science and Management of Death

O

18. Curriculum Skills Map Please tick in the relevant boxes where individual Programme Learning Outcomes are being assessed

Level Module Code Module Title

Core (C), Compulsory (COMP) or Option (O)

Programme Learning Outcomes Knowledge and understanding

Subject-specific Skills Thinking Skills

Other skills relevant to employability and personal

development

FZ2053 Advanced Photography O

A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 C1 C2 C3 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8

FZ2152 Introduction to Death Science

O v

FZ2055 Placement Module O v v

LEVE

L 4

FZ1034 Volume Crime Scene Science

COMP

FZ1048 Introduction to Policing COMP

FZ1044 Study Skills for Criminal Investigation

COMP

FZ1050 Introduction to Criminal Investigation

COMP

FZ1036 Crime Scene Photography O

FZ1054 Introduction to Osteology and Anthropology

O

* One of the dissertations must be taken. Note: Mapping to other external frameworks, e.g. professional/statutory bodies, will be included within Student Course Handbooks

T:\AQaSU_Sch_ROnly\Minor Changes\PENDING - Science and Technology\Forensic Sci and Crim Investigation_awaiting approval\Final documentation for upload\sh_bsc_hons_forensic_science_and_criminal_investigation_2019.docx

19. LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR EXIT AWARDS: For each exit award available, list learning outcomes relating to the knowledge and understanding, subject specific skills, thinking, other skills relevant to employability and personal development that a typical student might be expected to gain as a result of successfully completing each level of a course of study. For example, for a standard BA/BSc (Hons) award the exit award learning outcomes for CertHE (Level 4) and DipHE (Level 5), BA/BSc (Level 6) should be included; for a postgraduate Masters, this would normally be PGDip and PGCert. Learning outcomes for the award of: Certificate of Higher Education A1. Describe the principles relevant to criminal investigation and the court process, crime scene science, forensic science and evidence gathering A2. Explain and apply the rules of domestic and international criminal law A4. Correctly use the terminology and classification of law and criminal investigation A5. Apply the practical skills essential to a modern criminal investigation B1. Apply range of practical techniques in the investigation of crime and the recovery, preservation and documentation of scientific evidence B4. Use the correct terminology, nomenclature and classification of law and criminal investigation. B6. Assess and examine crime scenes and recover, analyse and interpret physical evidence. B7. Apply specialist knowledge of forensic practices to investigations and cases. B8. Work safely and effectively in the laboratory, at crime scenes and in simulated law enforcement situations C1. Select and analyse information from written, electronic and interview-based sources. C3. Evaluate and present the results of investigative studies. D1. Manage time and learning/work activities. D2. Work individually and in a group to solve ‘real world’ problems. D3. Learn independently, making use of written, electronic and human sources of information. D4. Communicate effectively. D5. Apply specialist knowledge of forensic practices to investigations and cases. D6. Perform calculations and appropriate statistical analysis. D7. Manage people and situations, such as crime scenes and incidents. Learning outcomes for the award of: Diploma of Higher Education in Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation A1. Describe the principles relevant to criminal investigation and the court process, crime scene science, forensic science and evidence gathering A2. Explain and apply the rules of domestic and international criminal law A3. Explain and evaluate the roles of the people within the English and international legal systems, A4. Correctly use the terminology and classification of law and criminal investigation A5. Apply the practical skills essential to a modern criminal investigation B1. Apply range of practical techniques in the investigation of crime and the recovery, preservation and documentation of scientific evidence B3. Describe and evaluate major concepts and principles of law. B4. Use the correct terminology, nomenclature and classification of law and criminal investigation. B5. Organise and conduct investigative interviews. B6. Assess and examine crime scenes and recover, analyse and interpret physical evidence. B7. Apply specialist knowledge of forensic practices to investigations and cases. B8. Work safely and effectively in the laboratory, at crime scenes and in simulated law enforcement situations B9. Demonstrate skills in communication, independent thought, analysis and research, observation and teamwork. C1. Select and analyse information from written, electronic and interview-based sources.

T:\AQaSU_Sch_ROnly\Minor Changes\PENDING - Science and Technology\Forensic Sci and Crim Investigation_awaiting approval\Final documentation for upload\sh_bsc_hons_forensic_science_and_criminal_investigation_2019.docx

C2. Formulate structured arguments, hypotheses and lines of enquiry, with the execution and critical evaluation of these. C3. Evaluate and present the results of investigative studies. D1. Manage time and learning/work activities. D2. Work individually and in a group to solve ‘real world’ problems. D3. Learn independently, making use of written, electronic and human sources of information. D4. Communicate effectively. D5. Apply specialist knowledge of forensic practices to investigations and cases. D6. Perform calculations and appropriate statistical analysis. D7. Manage people and situations, such as crime scenes and incidents. Learning outcomes for the award of: BSc Forensic Science & Criminal Investigation A1. Describe the principles relevant to criminal investigation and the court process, crime scene

science, forensic science and evidence gathering A2. Explain and apply the rules of domestic and international criminal law A3. Explain and evaluate the roles of the people within the English and international legal systems, A4. Correctly use the terminology and classification of law and criminal investigation A5. Apply the practical skills essential to a modern criminal investigation B1. Apply range of practical techniques in the investigation of crime and the recovery, preservation and documentation of scientific evidence B2. Evaluate evidence within the law of evidence and relate it to substantive law. B3. Describe and evaluate major concepts and principles of law. B4. Use the correct terminology, nomenclature and classification of law and criminal investigation. B5. Organise and conduct investigative interviews. B6. Assess and examine crime scenes and recover, analyse and interpret physical evidence. B7. Apply specialist knowledge of forensic practices to investigations and cases. B8. Work safely and effectively in the laboratory, at crime scenes and in simulated law enforcement situations B9. Demonstrate skills in communication, independent thought, analysis and research, observation and teamwork. C1. Select and appraise information from written, electronic and interview-based sources. C2. Formulate arguments, hypotheses and lines of enquiry, with the execution and critical evaluation

of these. C3. Analyse and present the results of investigative studies. D1. Manage time and learning/work activities. D2. Work individually and in a group to solve ‘real world’ problems. D3. Learn independently, making use of written, electronic and human sources of information. D4. Communicate effectively. D5. Apply specialist knowledge of forensic practices to investigations and cases. D6. Perform calculations and appropriate statistical analysis. D7. Manage people and situations, such as crime scenes and incidents. D8. Analyse problems and generate plans for structured written work