The University of Abertay Dundee has been awarded official accreditation from the Forensic Science Society for its BSc honours degree in Forensic Sciences.
The course is only the second undergraduate programme in the country to receive the accreditation and was also commended for its facilities and close links with local police forces.
Darren Phillips, Programme Tutor and Lecturer in Forensic Biology, said: “The Forensic Science Society was concerned that many universities were only offering forensics courses because they are popular, and were not paying enough attention to the particular teaching methods, syllabus and availability of resources and materials needed to teach the subject properly.
“This meant that graduates could be leaving university without the required skills and knowledge to find employment in what is a very competitive field and also that employers could not necessarily rely on those qualifications. The Society were asked to come up with a means of accreditation and quality assessment.
“Accreditation means assurance for students, graduates and employers, that a professional body has recognised our teaching standards and approved the course.
“Our forensics programme is now in its sixth year and has an excellent reputation and we are delighted to have had this recognised by the Forensic Science Society.”
In addition to receiving the quality accreditation, the department received six commendations for particular aspects of the course including the scenes of crimes facilities and equipment; the high content of practical courses; level of expertise within the department and close links with Tayside and Fife Police.
Many forensic science graduates from Abertay are now working with police forces all over the country, while many more have been able to apply the skills they have learned in a variety of other careers such as teaching and laboratory research.
Photo: Forensics students investigate accreditation certificate. Pictured (L-R): Aisling Smyth (3rd year), Stacey McAurthur (1st year), Alicia Sergeant (4th year) and Ryan Bathgate (2nd year).