Forensic Chemistry

Forensic Chemistry covers a breadth of topics and enables you to build practical, analytical, problem-solving and research skills, preparing you for exciting career opportunities.

Advancements in chemistry are driving modern forensic evidence analysis. In this programme you’ll develop skills vital for today’s chemists and deepen your understanding of chemistry’s core principles, from atomic bonding to techniques for measuring and observing chemical reactions.

You’ll explore the techniques used for the recovery and analysis in crime scene investigation (CSI) and discover how chemical analysis of evidence forms the backbone of forensic science. There's a focus on how modern analytical techniques can detect the compounds in forensic materials and how concepts from physical and inorganic chemistry can explain what we observe in chemical reactions.

You’ll enhance your CSI skills and knowledge in areas such as drug-related crime, pharmacology, forensic imaging, and blood spatter analysis, and you’ll gain confidence in communicating forensic findings to diverse audiences.

A major focus of the programme is developing your hands-on experience. You'll use professional equipment and techniques in well-equipped chemistry labs and modern forensic science facilities. Our dedicated crime scene simulation areas include indoor and outdoor scenarios including vehicle and fire examinations and our Crime Scene House. Keele’s unique 600-acre campus offers a fantastic environment to apply your theoretical knowledge to real life forensic investigation scenarios.

Optional modules allow you tailor your studies to specific interests, enhancing your understanding of topics such as sustainable chemistry and forensic toxicology.

There are opportunities to boost your employability including an additional certification in expert witness testimony, undertake a work placement year or complete an optional flexible work placement module.

About Keele

Keele University was established in 1949 by the former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Founded to meet the needs of a changing world, Keele has always had a pioneering vision to be a different kind of university. We excel in both teaching and research, with some of the most satisfied students in England, and research that is changing lives for the better at a regional, national and global level. Our beautiful 600-acre campus is one of the biggest in Britain – but all the most important services and facilities are on your doorstep, with accommodation, teaching spaces, facilities including a medical centre, sports centre and pharmacy, and a range of shops, eateries and entertainment venues – including the Students’ Union – clustered around the centre.