Crime and Forensic Science MSc

London, Bloomsbury

Forensic science is a dynamic discipline that plays a crucial role in the investigation of crime, collection of evidence and intelligence, and securing justice. Join us on this multidisciplinary one-year MSc programme, to put yourself at an advantage for forensic science, crime investigation and policing roles.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£18,400
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£36,500
Duration
1 calendar year
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Entry requirements

Normally a minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Relevant disciplines will generally include science subjects, for example chemistry, biology, physics, engineering or computer science; psychology, archaeology or geography. Alternatively candidates may qualify for entry if they can offer five or more years of relevant professional experience (for example in the police service, or with a forensic science provider).

Please note you are required to nominate at least one academic reference from someone who has taught you at degree level. If you have been out of higher education for more than four years you can provide a professional reference instead. Your second reference can be academic or professional. Please do not nominate personal referees, nor use non-institutional email addresses.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 3

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree


If you’re interested in forensic science, this MSc at UCL will help you get noticed in a competitive jobs market. 

The course has been designed to give you solid skills in crime scene investigation, evidence interpretation, experimental design and implementation, statistical analysis, and data analysis and modelling. 

You’ll learn all about the fundamental principles of crime and forensic science, alongside the key conceptual and philosophical frameworks relevant to this field. 

You’ll also have the chance to learn specialist techniques in areas such as forensic archaeology, digital evidence and forensic geoscience, and in academic research methods. The course has been developed to ensure that you’ll be learning the precise skills needed in today’s criminal justice system. 

By the end of the course, you’ll be adept at evaluating forensic evidence for investigative and court purposes – and in a strong position to secure forensic science and crime scene investigation roles.

Who this course is for

This programme is ideal if you want to gain the skills necessary for a career in this field or for conducting world-class crime and forensic science research. The programme is suitable for applicants from a range of different disciplines.

What this course will give you

This programme offers you the following benefits and opportunities. 

  • A postgraduate degree from a top-ranked university. UCL is consistently ranked among the best universities globally (ranked 9th in the latest QS World University Rankings 2025), providing you with a prestigious qualification that is highly regarded by employers worldwide. 
  • Study in the UCL Security & Crime Science department, the the world's first institution devoted specifically to reducing crime.
  • Work with UCL’s renowned academics from across the physical sciences, social sciences and humanities. 
  • Learn to think strategically and critically about crime and forensic science and gain transferable skills suitable for a wide range of careers.
  • Get practical crime scene investigation training, developed and delivered with input from London-based police forces.
  • Study in the world's best city for university students (QS Best Student Cities 2024). UCL’s Bloomsbury campus is in the heart of a London district famous for its cultural and educational institutions.

The foundation of your career

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to evaluate forensic evidence and have a good understanding of the key principles of crime and forensic science. You’ll also be adept at analysing problems and using appropriate scientific and professional skills to solve them. 

These skills – in addition to training developed and delivered with input from London-based police forces – will put you at an advantage compared to other applicants when applying for crime scene investigation and other forensic roles.

Graduates of this MSc programme have gone on to leading roles at major police forces (including the Metropolitan Police and Swedish Police forces) and forensic science laboratories (including Eurofins).

Employability

Graduates go on to become leaders in crime investigation, forensic science provision, consultancy, policymaking, and policing. A significant proportion go on to study for PhD degrees at UCL and other institutions worldwide.

Networking

You’ll have regular opportunities to connect, collaborate and build professional contacts as part of your Master's.

Students will have opportunities to network with practitioners and researchers through the CFS seminar series. Seminars run during term time and are designed to expose students to the latest developments in forensic science and to provide opportunities to engage with experts from outside UCL.

You'll also benefit from the department's long-established links and partnerships with police forces, academic research centres of excellence, policy makers at all levels and a range of security organisations both abroad and here in the UK.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a mixture of lectures, seminars and practical workshops. 

This programme is assessed via unseen written examinations, coursework, practical exercises, oral presentations, and the dissertation.

Full-time students can expect 15-20 hours of contact time per teaching week. The exact number of contact hours, composition, and assessment varies throughout the terms, and depends on the module choices of the student.

You should expect a working schedule of approximately 35-40 hours a week, divided between contact hours, self-directed learning, and preparing for assessments.

Modules

The programme consists of 5 compulsory modules, 3 optional modules (8 modules in total) and a research dissertation. Places for optional modules are awarded on a first come, first served basis.

Please be aware that certain modules will have prerequisites, such as relevant first degree or specific A-Level subjects. Availability on external modules will be dependent on the home department. External modules may not run every year due to timetable constraints.

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Crime and Forensic Science.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Where you'll study

UCL Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science building

The Department of Security and Crime Science at UCL is home to ground-breaking facilities including the Jill Dando Institute Research Laboratory (JDIRL), a Police Assured Secure Facility for the storage and analysis of sensitive data - the first facility of its kind at a European university. Through this, student can use datasets that would not otherwise be easily accessible. Students and researchers now also have access to our newly opened Forensic Science Evidence Interpretation Lab, where we address the critical issue of the interpretation of forensic evidence, and the Crime Science Immersive Technologies lab where technology-based experiments can be undertaken.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £18,400
Tuition fees (2025/26) £36,500

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

There are no additional costs associated with this programme.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

UCL Security & Crime Science is offering a number of scholarships of up to £10,000 to outstanding applicants who have been offered places on one of our MSc programmes. Further information is available on the departmental website.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

You will need to complete our application, making sure to address the below points in your personal statement.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • what attracts you to this particular programme
  • why you want to study this subject in the Faculty of Engineering Sciences at UCL, rather than elsewhere
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme
  • if you are aware and comfortable with the fact that the programme includes courses on statistics and quantitative analysis, as well as a general emphasis on the scientific method and empirical research
  • where you would like to go professionally after you graduate from this degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

If a student has graduated within the last five years, at least one academic reference is required. For the second reference, an academic reference is preferred, but a relevant workplace reference is also acceptable.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.