Course summary

Forensic anthropology is the analysis of human remains for medicolegal (medical and legal) purposes. This includes establishing identity, investigating suspicious deaths and identifying victims of mass disasters. It is a specialised area of forensic science that requires detailed anatomical and osteological training. Identifying the deceased is critical to the successful outcome of all legal investigations. During your first two years, you'll study modules within the School of Life Sciences. This gives you a solid understanding of physiology, biochemistry and related biomedical sciences. As the degree progresses, you'll develop a sound knowledge of the human body from the early stages of development to adult form. You'll learn full body dissection on our Thiel embalmed cadavers and understand the practical methods central to anatomy. You'll focus on skeletal anatomy and begin to learn how the analysis of the skeleton fits within medicolegal investigation. We were the first UK university to use this embalming system in our teaching. This maintains the fascial layers between structures, is highly flexible and retains lifelike colour and consistency. It also benefits your learning in becoming a forensic practitioner, as the identification of the deceased relies heavily on not only hard tissue like the skeleton, but also soft tissue information.