悉尼科技大学

In this combined degree, students learn to use science as a tool to enforce the law or to prepare for professional and specialist work in the world of forensic science.

Majoring in biology, chemistry, crime scene investigation or digital forensics, students work in world-class forensic science facilities that have been modelled on operational labs. Simultaneously, they study the foundations of the law, including constitutional, civil, criminal, commercial, tort and ethics law, before choosing an elective path that complements their scientific interests.

Soft skills, including critical thinking and problem solving, are a key component of the degree. The Legal Futures and Technology major is also on offer in this course, offering students the chance to explore smart contracts, AI, blockchain and other technologies as they relate to future legal practice.

Graduates meet the academic requirements for admission to practise law in NSW and benefit from UTS's extensive partnerships with the federal and state police services, national and international forensic institutions, and government laboratories.

Course structure

The course comprises a total of 240 credit points and allows students to graduate with the separate degrees of Bachelor of Forensic Science (BForSc) and Bachelor of Laws (LLB). The study components for course completion are as follows.

The law component of 144 credit points is made up of:

108 credit points of compulsory core law subjects

30 credit points of law options, including either:

30 credit points of law options, or

30 credit points of legal futures and technology options

a 6-credit-point legal theory option.

The forensic science component comprises 42 credit points of core subjects and a 54-credit-point major choice taken from one of the four specified majors representing different forensic science disciplines.

Careers

Career options include positions in the police service, state and federal law enforcement agencies, government and private forensic or drug detection laboratories, customs, quarantine services, environmental protection agencies, pharmaceutical, chemical and analytical industries, DNA testing laboratories, medical diagnostic laboratories, hospitals or corporate multinationals providing forensic, medical or research services, digital forensic laboratories, scene of crime officers.