Applied Criminal and Forensic Investigation* BSc (Hons)
Course Overview
Studying Applied Criminal and Forensic Investigation gives you the specialist skills, investigative mindset and practical experience needed to thrive in a wide range of modern investigative careers.
Within your first year, you build a strong foundation in investigative principles, learning how evidence is gathered, preserved and assessed in line with legislation such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). You will explore traditional and digital forensics, safeguarding, public protection, and offender behaviour, helping you understand how investigations unfold within a multi‑agency environment.
In your second year, you deepen your expertise in digital crime, forensic techniques and investigative strategy. You develop your ability to think critically, ethically and strategically while strengthening your academic skills in writing, research, teamwork and communication. You also benefit from specialist facilities, including the Crime Scene House, Virtual Reality Suite and Hydra Immersive Teaching Suite, where you apply theory to realistic scenarios.
In Anatomy of a Crime, you follow a full case from initial report to conclusion, developing witness, forensic, digital and intelligence strategies while applying the nationally recognised PEACE interviewing model. Industry speakers, expert practitioners and staff from the Institute of Policing ensure your learning is rooted in real investigative practice.
In your final year before graduation, you will continue developing skills in investigating Digital Crime and understanding Safeguarding and Management of Offenders. Importantly, you will learn how to manage people and the global nature of Investigations. Finally, you will complete a research project dissertation on a subject of your choice relevant to the field of study.
By the end of the course, you will have gained practical investigative experience, strong forensic and digital skills, and the critical mindset needed for roles across policing, regulatory bodies and private‑sector investigation units. You graduate as an ethical, capable and well‑rounded investigator ready for the demands of contemporary practice.
*Subject to Approval
Practical modules immerse you in a full investigation process from beginning to end.
Led by experts with extensive policing and digital forensics experience, who bring authentic, real‑world insights into the classroom.
Develop an investigative mindset without a required scientific, policing, or technical background.
How we teach at the University of Chester
Studied over three years full-time, the course is split into modules, each designed to provide step-by-step learning, giving you the skills required to become an investigator. There is a focus within this course on responding in a non-technical way to Cybercrime, Digital Investigations, and their impact upon society, developing an understanding of the evidence available from digital and forensic sources.
Teaching is without assuming any science or computer science background, teaching is through face-to-face lectures, seminars, workshops, presentations, and role play scenarios, which will be supplemented by self-learning and private study. The lecturing staff are experts within their fields, mostly former police officers who have extensive practical experience in their specialities.’
Modular in structure, this course contains three 40-credit modules each year. Each with 80 hours of face-to-face teaching over 10-week terms, with 320 hours of self-directed study. Assessments per module will vary, but will include a podcast, an academic poster, essays and other academic submissions, for example, a decision policy file.
You will be supported with various teaching methods used on this course, including live in-person classroom learning, independent study, in-person small group activities, experiential practical learning and problem-based learning. The 40-credit modules are designed to use role-play activities together with specialist facilities such as the Hydra Immersive Suite and Crime Scene House to provide you with authentic activities and assessments relevant to the role of an investigator.
Your academic journey through this degree course will provide you with many opportunities to apply your newfound skills in a practical, supportive environment, allowing you to develop the necessary skills to become an investigator.
All teaching is delivered by experienced academics and practitioners, with the fundamental principles of the Chester Future Skills Curriculum at its core – building your subject competence, confidence, and key transferable skills to shape you into a world-ready Chester graduate.
Your Future Career
Job Prospects
The Applied Criminal and Forensic Investigation BSc Hons is an exciting opportunity for those of you who want to become a criminal investigator. This could involve working in public or private sectors, or regulatory services such as:
- Police Force
- National Crime Agency
- Border Force
- Health and Safety Executive
- Department of Work and Pensions
- Banks
- Insurance agencies
- Internal investigations in commercial organisations
Employment opportunities offered by the completion of this degree are many and incredibly varied.
Progression Options
Upon graduation, you can progress to a Master's Degree at the University of Chester on the Policing Law Enforcement and Security MSc, Advanced Cyber Security MSc or Applied Artificial Intelligence MSc. The skills learned in this course are very transferable to many fields.
Careers Service
The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.
Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.
We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extracurricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.
Meirion Davies
Lecturer
Chris Lewis
Subject Lead - Policing
Mike Parsons
Senior Lecturer
Trevor Richards
Lecturer
Guy Hindle
Senior Lecturer
Dr Stephanie Worrell
Senior Lecturer
David Metcalfe
Senior Lecturer