A new generation of Crime Scene Investigators will soon begin studies at the University of Portsmouth. This unique Forensic Investigation Postgraduate course has been designed in partnership with leading practitioners in law enforcement and forensic science.
Hampshire Constabulary and Forensic Service Providers have worked with the University to fully equip every graduate with the skills needed to step into a crime scene with confidence, safe in the knowledge they can deliver the insight required by detectives managing the case.
We will give students the knowledge and ability to take what they see at a crime scene back into the laboratory.
Course leaders from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Portsmouth believe this is the first qualification in the UK to offer this depth and diversity of study, taking students all the way from crime scenes into courts.
Dr Katherine Brown, Senior Lecturer, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Portsmouth, says “We know that our partners want investigators that can research, listen, understand and question and then bring something new into the environment they are working in – not just follow protocol. We are confident this course provides that. In addition we will give students the knowledge and ability to take what they see at a crime scene back into the laboratory.”
Students will study alongside current practitioners in the forensic field. Virtual reality crime scene analysis technology will be paired with lessons in the fundamentals of crime scene investigation. Students will study current forensic methods in realistic settings, learn key practical skills and understand the extent and nature of forensic practices, and their strategic deployment in the investigation of crime.
I’m confident that this course will help students understand how to get the best forensic results from any situation they come across.
Detective Superintendent Tim Rowlandson, Head of Scientific Services, Hampshire Constabulary, says: “We are excited to work closely alongside our partners at the University of Portsmouth in shaping this course, to ensure it delivers students with the potential to step into a wide variety of roles within forensic science. We rightly operate in a world where the quality and reliability of evidence within the Criminal Justice System is key, and I’m confident that this course will help students understand how to get the best forensic results from any situation they come across.”
The Forensic Investigation Postgraduate course is designed to make the leap from a crime scene investigator using key protocol to offering crucial analysis. Dr Brown says “We have discussed with our partners what they require from students to make great crime scene investigators, and it is the ability to question and investigate what they see when faced with a crime scene, not just report it. We believe this course will enable them to do just that.”