Faculty of Creative Arts, Technologies & Science
School of Life Sciences
I am delighted that you will be studying with us at the School of Life Sciences. We take pride in providing a vibrant and supportive learning environment along with employment-orientated education and skills training.
Our mission is to inspire you to achieve your ambitions and goals in your studies and your future career.
This booklet provides you with important information that will guide you during your first few weeks and months as you settle into university life.
I look forward to welcoming you to the University in September.
Student Information Desk (SiD) beds.ac.uk/sid sid@beds.ac.uk
Student Support beds.ac.uk/studentsupport
BedsSU (Students’ Union) bedssu.co.uk
help@bedssu.co.uk
Course Lead
• Dr Vicki Barlow – vicki.barlow@beds.ac.uk
First Year Coordinator
• Dr Taiwo Adewale Shittu – taiwoadewale.shittu@beds.ac.uk
Senior Admissions Tutor
• Dr Robin Maytum – robin.maytum@beds.ac.uk
Hello, my name is Vicki and I am excited that you are joining us in September. Your core forensic team all come from an industry background, bringing a wealth of casework knowledge and experience and your criminology team are all experts in their fields. Our course is designed to teach you the required theory and allow you time in our specialist laboratories to develop the key skills you need for a career in forensic science and criminology.
The first week of the semester is known as Welcome Week, which has been designed to introduce you to your course, the academic team and your fellow students (as well as having lots of fun!).
You’ll be assigned a personal tutor who will support you throughout your course, as will our specialist first year coordinator. We all have weekly office hours so you can book an appointment if you need to discuss any aspect of your course. And we can tell you more about the range of additional support services at the University to help you transition to life in higher education. We will be with you every step of the way!
If you have any questions about our courses, then feel free to drop me an email vicki.barlow@beds.ac.uk or call 01582 489612.
Course Lead
It is very important to start your course well. Welcome Week is an essential part of navigating student life and your studies, and it’s a brilliant way of getting to know staff and students. There are a range of academic talks, an introduction to our support services and there will be plenty of social events too!
The following is a typical Welcome Week schedule (the exact schedule will be available to you prior to starting).
Day 1 am
Introduction to student support services, Students’ Union and library services
Ice breaker and social integration
pm Visit the Freshers’ Fayre
am Meet the course team and other staff from the School of Life Sciences
Day 2
pm
Accessing your email and getting the most from BREO (our virtual learning environment)
Q&A with current students
Sessions on communication skills and employability
Day 3 am Laboratory induction pm First meeting with your personal academic tutor (known as PAT)
Year 1 (Level 4)
During your first year, you will learn the key skills needed for studying at University such as academic writing, researching scientific literature and referencing, as well as practical skills like pipetting and microscopy.
You will also study core sciences, crime scene investigation, evidence examination in the laboratory and the psychology of the criminal mind.
Skills in Forensic Science
Introduction to Criminology
Molecular Genetics
Chemistry
Human Anatomy and Physiology
The course assessment strategy is closely aligned to the University’s teaching and learning strategy which is designed to:
• Have an immediate relevance to practice
• Draw on expertise by experience
• Foster active learning and be learner-centred in approach
A distinct feature of the course is the range of assessment tasks. This includes work that is reflective of industry practice and is often based around real cases we have worked on.
These can vary depending on the course you are studying, but here’s an example of what your assessments might include:
Laboratory reports
Evidence examination notes
Crime scene investigation statements
Witness statements
Court presentations
Posters/presentations
Practical assessments
Case studies
Multiple choice and written exams
Essays
Assessments are purposefully diverse and created to relate to industry practices.
Once you have met the conditions of your offer, you will receive an email to complete your online registration. Keep an eye on your emails and junk box to ensure you don’t miss it!
• Watch this short video showing the fantastic facilities you will be using in our STEM building
Take a look at our website and find out more about what is happening on campus during Welcome Week and at Beds Students’ Union.
• Start your student journey here
• Read this insightful case study about a day in the life of CSI Angela Davies, a Crime Scene Investigator
Take time to familiarise yourself with the layout of our campus and the names of buildings. This will help you get around with ease when you arrive.
• Luton campus
• Eating and drinking on-campus
As a first year student you will begin your course with two units that will be taught and assessed during semester one (over 13 weeks).
This will include sessions to introduce and develop key skills needed for your university study. Semester two starts towards the end of January and runs until May, during which time you will take your remaining units.
To find out how to access your timetable go to beds.ac.uk/timetable
What happens if I miss class due to illness or have difficulties with childcare or travel?
We understand that everyone will face some difficulties now and again and we aim to be flexible. You are encouraged to discuss ongoing issues with your personal academic tutor or course leader to minimise the impact on your learning.
How can I get support with my assessments?
Every piece of coursework has an ‘assignment brief’ that sets out the expectations for the assessment and the marking criteria. Academic staff will explain the expectations in the practical and workshop sessions and are always available to answer any specific questions you might have.
The University also provides one-to-one meetings with our StudyHub – a central resource that provides support with academic writing, referencing and communication skills. If you have issues with meeting an assessment deadline, we have an independent Student Engagement and Mitigation team (SEAM) who will assess your situation and can provide extensions or deferred submissions for assessments. You can email them at mitigation@beds.ac.uk
Will I have chance to develop my practical skills for lab based assessments?
Yes! We have a student skills laboratory available two days a week for you to practice key laboratory skills. There are unit-related activities for you to work through at your own pace, which will help develop your confidence.
What support is available for students with a learning difference or disability?
Our Disabilities team support students with a range of disabilities including sensory and physical impairments, mental health difficulties, specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, and medical conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, sickle cell anaemia and arthritis. You may be eligible for a Learning and Teaching Agreement, where we can discuss any reasonable adjustments needed for classroom learning and examinations. You can email disability@beds.ac.uk for further information and advice.
Are there clubs and activities I can get involved with?
Yes! The Students’ Union can provide you with lots of information about sports clubs, activities and events available for all students at the University. If you can’t see anything of interest, you can apply for funding to set up your own club or society. Check out their webpage bedssu.co.uk
Throughout the year, you will have the opportunity to take part in extracurricular events and meet with and listen to guest speakers.
Always remember, our team is here for you!
We know there’s a lot to take in when you start university. Our staff have many years’ experience in both teaching and research in their specialist topics. We’ll support you throughout, especially at the beginning. Some students adjust to university life more readily than others, and it can take time to feel at home, but this is normal and you’ll soon make friends. Remember, many of your fellow students will be feeling the same.
We are confident that you’ll love our friendly campus and everything the University of Bedfordshire has to offer.
Our team’s casework experience feeds directly into our teaching, creating a vibrant and practice-based learning environment.
You will receive extensive support to achieve your potential!
You could follow in the steps of many of our successful graduates who are employed as Crime Scene Investigators or for companies including Cellmark and Eurofins Forensics.
You will spend lots of time in our specialist forensic laboratory for hands-on experience in evidence examination.
You will have the chance to analyse a variety of different evidence types that you may want to specialise in.
You will learn how to investigate a variety of different case types in your role as a CSI in our ‘crime scene flat’.
You will gain a wide range of key employability skills.
You can access our Student Skills Lab to master your practical techniques outside of scheduled classes.
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