Graduate Certificate in Forensic Science (Professional Practice)

This Course is archived with an end date of 25/11/2020

Overview

This course provides science graduates or equivalent, with professional training in crime scene investigation and access to elective forensic science discipline based units which are delivered to best international standards. Students develop the theoretical and practical skills relevant to the forensic investigation of volume and serious crimes. Reconstruction of the different crime scene types and processing by the students is emphasised, as is the collection, processing and interpretation of biological and physical evidence. In addition, as a forensic/ crime scene investigator you will undertake (unit dependent) 'capstone' field trips to a dedicated outdoor facility, to process a mock murder scene and a body recovery exercise. The mock scene processing: interpretation, recording/ documentation, evidence collection sources of contamination, quality assurance procedures and the admissibility of evidence are undertaken as a prelude to your generation of expert witness reports and courtroom testimony.

Contacts

Academic Chair

Admission requirements

Enrolment restrictions

Entry requirements (onshore)

Entry requirements (transnational)

English language requirements

Learning outcomes

Demonstrate a theoretical and practical understanding of the application of the biological and chemical sciences to the investigation of major crime

Gain an understanding of the criminal code as it pertains to the investigation of major crime including the role of the Coroner/ and Criminal Courts in the application of justice

Demonstrate knowledge and awareness of investigator bias, expectation and context effects; their significance in crime investigation and their potential to pervert the course of justice

Gain proficiency in crime scene documentation and competence in the collection and preservation of evidence

Gain basic proficiency in crime scene reconstruction

Demonstrate an understanding of artefacts and human error that can compromise or complicate the interpretation of forensic data

Gain basic proficiency in the preparation and delivery of courtroom testimony and in the generation of expert testimony reports which conform to the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Expert Witnesses in the District Court of Western Australia

Develop a practical understanding of the role of crime scene investigative teams in crime scene investigation and in crime scene reconstruction

Through a study of case histories, become familiar with forensic errors in criminal cases that have led to wrongful convictions

10.

Apply statistical analyses to forensic data so as to elucidate investigative findings and assess the relative probabilities of different interpretations