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Master
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Forensic Science

Study programme

Studying Forensic Science at the UvA

  • The Master’s in Forensic Science offers an interdisciplinary programme to students with a background in computer science, physics, chemistry, biological sciences, mathematics and others. Our lecturers are not only university professors but also experts from the forensic field, as well as from the Dutch Police Force and the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI).
  • Students study the fundamentals of forensic science together and will learn to understand the forensic process and the role of forensic evidence, dealing with topics such as hypothesis formation, data collection and analysis, integrity of science, and quality management. They will be trained in understanding the relevancy of different traces, the methods used to analyse those traces and the value of evidence they can provide.
  • A great deal of attention is paid to the development of criminalistic reasoning skills, critical thinking, and the application of science in a forensic context. The Master’s programme in Forensic Science teaches students to understand and communicate with all partners in the forensic chain. In order to fulfil the demands of the field, interdisciplinary communication and cooperation are of great importance in the curriculum.
  • In our Master’s programme, we train students to become more than an average scientist. We train them to contribute to the forensic field by applying specialist knowledge in a forensic context, whether as a researcher at the university, a forensic expert, or as a forensic advisor.
More information on the study programme and courses Curriculum
  • First year

    The programme of the first year provides students with the theoretical foundation of forensic science: the forensic process from crime scene to court, including the players and their roles, the judicial context and the quality requirements within the process. Attention is paid to the statistical foundation for interpreting evidence, criminalistics reasoning and the importance and underlying principles of hypothesis formulation and validation. Students will learn about the most common traces found in a crime scene and the scientific principles of the main techniques used to analyse those traces. As such, students will learn to apply the theoretical knowledge to forensic cases, e.g. in a crime scene setting and as an expert in a moot court. In most of the courses, experts from the field, e.g. from the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) and the Dutch Police Force, take part through giving lectures about the practice in the forensic field.

    Critical reflection and interdisciplinarity

    Within the different courses, attention will be paid to critical reflection skills as well as to problem-solving skills. Students will learn about the role of forensic science in society and the standards required for scientific research. 

    Another important aspect within the programme is the interdisciplinary nature of forensic science. Students will work in groups and will be stimulated to address interdisciplinary issues. They contribute to group work by putting their own expert knowledge from their Bachelor's programme into use. In addition, students visit Frontiers of Forensic Science lecture afternoons, and presentations from second-year students to gain an overview of state-of-the-art research in the forensic field and to orientate themselves for topics and criteria for their own literature thesis and the final research project of the second year.

    Colloquia presentations and why you should go to them

    Moot court

    At the end of the first year, everything that was studied so far will come together in the casework offered in the course Chain of Evidence. This course allows students to work through a simulated case, beginning with one afternoon of practical forensic examination - e.g. the collection and analysis of traces. The course subsequently focuses on providing interpretations of the data obtained and concludes with a written and oral defense of the expert opinion in a moot court, complete with prosecutor, defense lawyer, judge and counter-expert.

    Study trip

    Every year, our students organise a study trip in October or November for the new first-year students. During the study trip, we visit several forensic institutes and/or universities and in addition visit the city. It is a great opportunity to extend your forensic network and get to know each other. Want to know more? Follow the links below!

    Study Trip 2023: Prague Study Trip 2022: Hamburg Study Trip 2021: Berlin Study Trip 2019: Prague Study Trip 2018: Copenhagen Study Trip 2017: Geneva Study Trip 2016: Antwerp and Brussels
  • Second year

    In the second year, students deepen their knowledge in their Bachelor’s discipline by following advanced forensic courses and courses from other Master‘s programmes at the Faculty of Science as part of a specialisation. Students write a literature thesis and conduct a research project of six months.

    The Master's in Forensic Science is closely linked with the Co van Ledden Hulsebosch Centre (CLHC). This centre coordinates and stimulates forensic research and cooperates with various forensic partners and institutes. The scientists and experts involved in the Master's programme have an extensive network of contacts, creating opportunities for students to carry out their research project in forensic laboratories and organisations all over the world. The topics of these projects cover almost all fields of forensic science and have led to many publications in international scientific journals.

    Research projects

    Students finish the programme by conducting a research project to expand their scientific and forensic knowledge and to prove their professional skills. This research can be done in the Netherlands or abroad, within or outside the university, a Dutch or foreign forensic institute, a police department or with other organisations in which forensics play a role. The topics span a wide range of forensic areas, from epigenetics to fire investigation to cybercrime and more.

    Research Project Guide MFS UvA 2022-2023 Research Project Guide MFS UvA 2021-2022 Research Project Guide MFS UvA 2020-2021
COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Criminalistics Applied to Forensic Chemistry
    6

    The course will start with an overview of the basic concepts in forensic science and the essential steps of the forensic process. For practical and didactical reasons, the process has been divided in four phases as could be seen by a forensic scientist; the investigation of the scene of the incident (crime), the analysis, the interpretation and the reporting. Each of the phases in the process will be individually explored using examples from several forensic areas of expertise.

  • Statistics for Forensic Science
    6

    An important goal of the course is to provide students with the required knowledge of statistical and probabilistic reasoning to distinguish correct from erroneous argumentation when applied to Forensic Science. Intuitive reasoning is frequently the source of serious misconceptions that all too often have lead to wrong juridical sentences. In the course, the students will see how to recognize and avoid such mistakes through formalistic analysis.

  • Research and Innovation in Forensic Biophysics
    6

    This course will start with an introduction in the concept of scientific methodology and the role of research in Forensic science. Exercises will be given which involve summarizing literature and extraction of research questions for follow up research.

  • Logic and the Human Factor in Forensic Reasoning
    6

    We are all human, with our strengths and weaknesses, also within the field of forensic science. We may make mistakes in observations and in reasoning; others may make similar mistakes. It is important for a forensic scientist to learn what can go wrong and how it can go wrong. In this course, we will discuss the tools and methods we can use to spot shortcomings and support human reasoning.

  • Complex Crime Scenes
    6

    The following topics/subjects and more will be addressed: 1. Search Technique including equipment and methods most commonly used. 2. Large Scale Investigations – the Police approach 3. Forensic Microtraces including working with hypotheses 4. Non-Human DNA 5. Toxicology 6. Forensic Archaeology and Mass Graves

  • Forensic Statistics and DNA-evidence
    6

    Forensic Statistics is relevant for all forensic disciplines and the Bayesian paradigm connects them. The area where this is most pronounced and most developed is DNA evidence. For this reason, the focus of the course will be on DNA and biological trace evidence, but applications of forensic statistics in other areas will also be considered.

  • Cybercrime, Digital Traces and Forensic Data Analysis
    6

    The following topics/subjects and more will be addressed: 1. Digital Forensics and cybercrime intro 2. Acquisition, Hashing/integrity 3. Live forensics/ memory forensics 4. (Smart)phone forensics 5. Big Data forensics

  • Chain of Evidence
    6

    During the course Chain of Evidence the students will revisit the forensic process but from a practical point of view. The learning activities are focused on the evaluation of the laboratory work, the role of the expert witness, the communication of scientific results and the use of statistics.

  • Criminal Law and Expert Evidence
    6

    The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the fundamentals and functions of criminal law, the position of experts in different stages of the criminal process and the use of expert evidence. The peculiarities of the communication between experts and non-experts in court will be addressed.

  • Policy, Ethics and Media
    6

    This course aims (1) retrieve all your knowledge of the past courses and apply it to a classical hard case. And (2) to explore and understand the role of the societal actors, e.g, policy, ethics and media.

  • Professional Development
    2

    In the forensic science programme you will learn everything you need to become a full-fledged forensic scientist. While the majority of the programme focuses on the science, this course has a different orientation: your personal development. Against this backdrop, it aspires to complement your scientific training by providing additional tools that are highly valuable for your future work in forensic practice.

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Advanced Forensic Biology
    6

    The course Advanced Forensic Biology is designed to provide students with fundamental information on state of the art molecular biology technologies. Special attention will be paid to research topics that fall within the scope of forensic biology. The course concentrates on the nature and significance of biological evidence and the underlying (molecular) biological principles of scientific methods employed for forensic analysis and interpretation.

  • Forensic Elective
    6

    You can choose between Physical and Forensic Anthropology or a Specialisation Course.

  • Literature Thesis
    5

    In this course the student has to write a literature thesis. The student will obtain in-depth knowledge on a specific forensic topic by studying and analysing state-of-the-art scientific literature. The results of the thesis have to be presented during a colloquium and all students will present a short overview during a mini-symposium.

  • Research Project
    36

    The research project provides students with first-hand experience in working with established scientists during a prolonged period of time. The objective of a research project is to give the student an opportunity to acquire practical experience by empirical scientific research methods and to learn to work independently. In addition, the student gets an impression of the possibilities on the job market after graduation, and has the opportunity to discover gaps in his knowledge or skills and fill these.

  • Professional Development
    2

    In the forensic science programme you will learn everything you need to become a full-fledged forensic scientist. While the majority of the programme focuses on the science, this course has a different orientation: your personal development. Against this backdrop, it aspires to complement your scientific training by providing additional tools that are highly valuable for your future work in forensic practice.

Compulsory course
Elective
Specialisation
What is the importance of forensic reasoning?

Lecturer Maarten Blom highlights two courses of the Master's programme in Forensic Science, part of the learning line that deals with sound reasoning in the application of forensic science. How do we determine the weight of forensic evidence in a case? And how should we communicate this to the decision makers - the police, prosecutors, judges and defence lawyers?

  • Degree requirements

    A Master of Science degree in Forensic Science is awarded upon successful completion of all the core and specialisation courses in the curriculum and a written Master's thesis based on an independent research project. This translates into 120 ECTS credits.

  • Advice accreditation panel

    In March 2023, the Master Forensic Science (MFS) was visited by an accreditation panel, part of the standard procedure to guarantee the quality of the programme, every six years. The panel spoke with programme management, teachers, students, alumni, Examinations Board and representatives of the professional field. The accreditation panel was positive on all four standards (1. Intended learning outcomes, 2. Teaching and Learning Environment, 3. Assessment, and 4. Achieved Learning Outcomes). The panel also gave useful advice, which will be discussed with students, teachers, Examinations Board, and the Advisory Board to come to a new strategic plan for 2023-2028.