Applied Criminal and Forensic Investigation* BSc (Hons)

This module provides the basis of all investigative practices, providing a structured overview of how all investigations are ethically built, forming an understanding of the criminal justice system and how it impacts any investigations.  It provides the crucial foundation that supports any future learning, enabling you to apply critical thinking skills to the ethical investigations and the development of the investigative mindset, enabling the development of skills for future employment in your chosen field.

Learning and applying new academic skills will provide the bedrock for your academic journey, this module provides teaching and guidance about the structure of academic writing, along with research skills within higher education and how to correctly cite reference material when completing work. This skill is also fundamental to any investigation and helps to evolve the investigative mindset, developing good communication skill enable you as an investigator to present your findings effectively.

You will explore and critically evaluate the core concepts of ethics, equality, diversity, fairness, professionalism, necessity, human rights along integrity and how this applies to any investigation.

You will critically evaluate differing values of society and how diversity in society impacts upon investigations exploring how failure to accommodate these varied needs can adversely impact upon the management of inquiries and undermine the value of investigations.

This module introduces the concept of gathering intelligence and information in respect of criminal investigations whilst recognising the importance of data protection legislation and the rights of an individual. You will receive comprehensive instruction on how intelligence plays an integral part in effective law enforcement through tactical and strategic decision-making, problem-solving, and the importance of the correct handling, dissemination, storage and retention of information. You will also develop critical skills in teamworking, informed decision-making, communication skills, presentation skills, and public speaking. Finally, you will begin to develop and understand the specific skills required to manage sensitive information in a working environment.

You will take part in group activities during lectures in relation to the National Intelligence Model, which is the basis for the ethical gathering of information in any investigation, producing intelligence reports, such as profiles of subjects under investigation and discuss how legislation underpins decisions about investigative priorities, highlighting the importance of teamwork, partnership working and how information sharing is achieved lawfully. You will also take part in dynamic practical activities such as developing a surveillance plan and briefing your peers, developing your written and communication skills. Activities will introduce and develop teamwork and critical decision-making skills together with critically evaluating the importance of information retention, storage and dissemination whilst also being able critically assess the cultural, legal and vulnerability issues related to any investigation.

You will develop skills in relation to summarising information, highlighting relevant key elements in relation to the covert gathering of information and compiling them into a poster.  Building upon the previous module, Investigative Mindset Skills, you will further develop your academic presentation skills, using PowerPoint to produce a visually impactful academic poster relating to the covert gathering of information, its value and use in investigations. The presentation of this poster will be supported by a professional discussion regarding the contents of the poster. 

This allows students to develop skills in teamworking, critical thinking, informed decision making, communication skills, presentation skills, and public speaking, all skills that are essential for any investigator and for future employability.

This 40-credit module builds on your knowledge of the concepts of forensic evidence and how it is crucial to any investigation. You will learn how forensic evidence can only be relied upon if it is collected and produced ethically and lawfully, in keeping with best practice and national policies. You will learn the importance of the policies and procedures that underpin the collection of evidence, developing an investigative mindset. This module builds upon the previous modules from year one. 

As forensic science is the bedrock of virtually all investigations, you will learn how investigators can make the most of forensic opportunities available from any inquiry. You will learn the importance of collecting and producing evidence lawfully and the consequences of not doing so correctly in an investigation. 

This module will allow you to experience a crime scene and provide instruction on how to best preserve and gather forensic evidence. It focuses upon the more traditional areas of forensic science, fingerprints, DNA footmarks, etc., but also explores the incredibly wide range of forensic opportunities that are available to investigators. The digital arena of forensics is dealt with is separate module later in the course. The module is taught in a way that does not require any previous scientific knowledge but allows you to critically consider the source and value of any forensic evidence.

You will attend crime scenes at our crime scene house and have the opportunity to gather evidence in an ethical, forensically sound way, and critically evaluate the sources of forensic evidence and their importance to your investigation. You will also be introduced to 'the chain of evidence', an essential concept in understanding how valid an item of evidence is and being able to demonstrate how that item could not have been tampered with.

This module takes both a theoretical and practical approach to criminology and sociology. It examines the relationship between victims and those who commit crime, and how to apply sociological, historical, psychological, criminal and cultural perspectives to the study of crime and punishment and how societies respond to such offending.

Students will learn several crime prevention principles and theories, and examine and discuss the role of the public, the police and the roles of both statutory and non-statutory authorities in crime prevention.

The overall aim is to provide you with the knowledge and understanding of how investigative practice may be delivered in the future by developing decision-making, where policing takes responsibility to ensure that there is a credible evidence base to operational and business decisions in policing. You will be equipped to understand public expectations and techniques to identify predictable demand, while understanding the need to manage high-risk occurrences.

You will study the use of Artificial Intelligence in modern-day policing. Additionally, you will be given an understanding of evidence-based principles and the importance of practical outcomes that will reduce demand on investigations and increase public confidence. You will be given an insight into how practitioners and academics can develop new research and how to develop the skills required to disseminate and promote evidence-based research.

This module applies learning from the first year. This module aims to focus on building an investigation and allows you to apply learning in a safe teaching environment and to develop employability skills as criminal investigators. The intention is for you to investigate a reported crime from its initial report, up to presenting the developed case as evidence at court. This module builds on knowledge relating to criminal decision-making and the responsibilities of an investigator.

An investigative journey will include the Hydra Immersive Suite, where you will receive the report of the crime, develop a hypothesis of the cause and develop intelligence to identify a suspect. You will then attend the Crime Scene House, where you will build your skills implementing witness and forensic strategies and digital forensic strategies, as well as create ongoing decision logs to effectively record your decision-making processes. Having gathered all available sources of intelligence and evidence, you will plan and execute a search warrant culminating in the arrest of a suspect, along with Investigative interviewing of the identified suspect. Finally, you will prepare evidence in a case file that will ultimately be presented at a mock (Moot) court. You will also attend sessions in Chester Crown Court to witness police officers and witnesses present their evidence. This will allow students to apply learning and develop skills in criminal investigation, teamworking, public speaking and communication skills.

This module builds upon knowledge from the Level 4 module Informed Decision Making, helping you to identify legislative, ethical and professional considerations and demonstrate the application (through a case study) of the highly technical skills required when conducting digital crime investigation, evaluating the relevant legislation, national policy and specialist support structures available to investigators and the support of vulnerable victims and witnesses.

You will develop the skills to recognise the economic and social impact of digital crime, acknowledging community and business considerations when conducting digital crime investigations, whilst keeping a balanced, professional, and objective approach. Elements of the Module will be taught in a computer laboratory, allowing for a real-world experience of examining digital evidence and intelligence. You will learn the non-technical key skills required to perform as an investigator in this complex area of work, developing an understanding of the key concepts that are the bedrock of any digital investigation and how to secure and preserve key evidence.

The module builds upon the Digital World and how it impacts the most vulnerable in society. It explains the knowledge and understanding needed of the key issues and debates concerning multi-agency working in the context of protecting vulnerable children and adults who become or are at risk of being victims of crime. During this module, key guidance and preventive models will be discussed, which will lead to the recognition of what are the key issues that prevent effective multi-agency working and their impact on service delivery.

It explores all aspects of public protection in terms of how police manage criminal investigations and minimise risks to the individual. Additionally, the prevention of risk towards the victim and how offenders are managed, identifying key issues which you will need to analyse and evaluate in terms of multi-agency working. The module outlines key processes in criminal justice, including risk assessment and the planning and delivery of interventions to tackle dangerous offending. You will critically review the term ‘safeguarding’ and how interventions can be implemented to reduce the risk to individuals and protect the public.

You will use the Hydra Immersive Learning Suite, which is directly relatable to their assessment. You will use this immersive suite as it allows you to apply your learning in a safe, supportive teaching environment.

You will gain knowledge to enable you to critically articulate key theories in relation to leadership and management skills and to evaluate and analyse how these skills are applied to investigate leadership in the United Kingdom. You will apply theories about teamwork, motivation, change management, toxic leadership, including power and conformity and be able to articulate how these affect team leadership. In addition, you will be able to discuss issues which arguably affect successful leadership, including the media, austerity, organisational structure and criminological aspects.

You will be able to articulate the professional importance of self-evaluation, self-improvement and reflective practice, as they take part in an immersive tabletop leadership scenario as you take on the role of a leader, an event commander at a large sporting event.

You will apply knowledge to complete a 4000-word written assignment on the skills and qualities required to be successful in organisational leadership.

This module builds on the Level 5 module relating to research methods and skills and evidence-based policing, providing an opportunity for students to carry out an in-depth study of a topic or issue based on, or closely allied to, policing by independent study. The module will continue to develop your skills in the role of research in policing, examine some of the main theories and methodologies used in social science, and develop an understanding of the application of theory and methodology to research practice.

Students will then develop their ability to understand and define clearly a problem or area for further study. Students will develop the ability to extract relevant material from an in-depth literature review using primary and secondary sources and to design and undertake an original investigation using acceptable research methodologies. Finally, students will critically analyse and interpret results, to present a coherent and critical account of the work, developing time management skills and achieving a measure of independence, demonstrating proficiency in academic writing/referencing.