Defence and Security
Entry Requirements :
A first or second class UK Honours degree (or equivalent) ideally in a related subject. Other recognised professional qualifications or several years relevant industrial experience may be accepted as equivalent; subject to approval by the Course Director. For further and specific information please visit the course page.
English Language:
If you are an international student you will need to provide evidence that you have achieved a satisfactory test result in an English qualification. The minimum standard expected from a number of accepted courses are as follows:
IELTS Overall score – 7.0
TOEFL - (Internet-based Test) (Total score = 100)
Pearson PTE Academic – Overall score - 68
Cambridge English Scale - 190
Cambridge English: Advanced – Grade A or B
Cambridge English: Proficiency – Grade A or B
In addition to these minimum scores you are also expected to achieve a balanced score across all elements of the test. We reserve the right to reject any test score if any one element of the test score is too low. We can only accept tests taken within two years of your registration date (with the exception of Cambridge English tests which have no expiry date). Students requiring a Tier 4 (General) visa must ensure they can meet the English language requirements set out by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and we recommend booking a IELTS for UKVI test.
Duration:
Full-time MSc - one year, Part-time MSc - up to three years, Full-time PgDip - one year, Part-time PgDip - two years
(For MOD status students the duration may vary, subject to annual review.)Full-time MSc - one year, Part-time MSc - up to three years, Full-time PgDip - one year, Part-time PgDip - two years
(For MOD status students the duration may vary, subject to annual review.)
Course Format:
- Taught
- MSc/MSc by Research/PgDip
Overview:
This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive insight of the field of firearms, ammunition and ballistic investigations.
Who is it for?:
The course offers students a wide range of different experiences with unique facilities available to no other university in the UK.
The MSc in Forensic Ballistics course usually has around 10-15 students per year. Students come from a wide range of backgrounds, usually with a science or forensic science first degree. Many students come from abroad, especially Europe, Africa and North America.
Why this course?:
The MSc Forensic Ballistics course is part of the MSc Forensic Programme which is formally accredited by The Chartered Society for Forensic Sciences.
The course is highly practical and hands-on, aiming to produce a clear understanding of how firearms and ammunition function, the science of ballistics, the role of the forensic firearms examiner and how the forensic evidence produced in gun crime can be used to help resolve issues in relation to criminal and civil law.
The course consists of a one-week period of introductory studies followed by academic instruction in modular form. Most modules are of five days duration, interspersed with weeks devoted to private study. Students are required to take eight core modules and choose three elective modules based on their particular background, future requirements or interests. This is followed by a four-month research project and either a thesis or literature review and paper.
Informed by Industry:
Made up of serving Forensic Practitioners from different disciplines.Your teaching team
- Dr Sophie Beckett
- Professor Graham Braithwaite
- Dr Kelly Domoney
- Dr Karl Harrison
- Stephen Johnson
- Dr David Lane
- Dr Nicholas Marquez-Grant
- Dr Sarah Morris
- Dr Jon Painter
- Professor Keith Rogers
- Dr James Shackel
- Professor Andrew Shortland
- Tracey Temple
- Mark Viner
- Roland Wessling
- Dr Mike Williams
- Professor Peter Zioupos
Accreditation:
The Forensic Modular Masters Programme at Cranfield Forensic Institute is accredited by The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.
Course details:
Students are required to take nine core modules and choose three elective modules based on their particular background, future requirements, or interests. This is followed by a four-month research project and thesis.
Individual project:
The individual project takes four months from April to July. The student selects from a range of titles, or may propose their own topic. Most are practically or experimentally based using Cranfield’s unique facilities.
Assessment:
By written and practical examinations, continuous assessment, project presentation and viva voce.
Core modules:
- Analytical Techniques
- Courtroom Skills
- Failure Analysis of Components
- Firearms Investigations
- Forensic Ballistic Investigations
- Investigation and Evidence Collection
- Reasoning for Forensic Science
- Introduction to Firearms Investigations and Forensic Ballistics
- Materials Engineering and Processing
Elective
- Fakes and Forgeries
- Fires, Explosions and their Investigation
- Forensic Archaeology: Recovering Buried Remains
- Forensic Investigation of Explosives and Explosive Devices
- Fundamentals of Forensic Anthropology: Osteology
- Mass Fatality Incidents
- Radiographic Investigations in Forensic Science
- Trace Evidence
- Hazardous Forensics
- Forensic Exploitation and Intelligence
- Digital Crime and Investigation
- Approach to Failure Investigation and Analysis
Fees and Funding:
Home EU Students Fees:
- MSc Full-time £9,000^
- MSc Part-time £9,000*^
- PgDip Full-time £7,200
- PgDip Part-time £7,200*
Overseas Fees:
- MSc Full-time £17,500^
- MSc Part-time £17,500*^
- PgDip Full-time £14,000
- PgDip Part-time £14,000*
* Students will be offered the option of paying the full fee up front, or to pay in four equal instalments at six month intervals (i.e. the full fee to be paid over the first two years of their registration).
^ Most fees paid personally by the student or their families are eligible for a departmental bursary.
Fee notes:
- The fees outlined apply to all students whose initial date of registration falls on or between 1 August 2016 and 31 July 2017.
- All students pay the tuition fee set by the University for the full duration of their registration period agreed at their initial registration.
- A deposit may be payable, depending on your course.
- Additional fees for extensions to the agreed registration period may be charged and can be found below.
- Fee eligibility at the Home/EU rate is determined with reference to UK Government regulations. As a guiding principle, EU nationals (including UK) who are ordinarily resident in the EU pay Home/EU tuition fees, all other students (including those from the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) pay Overseas fees
Funding Opportunities:
Departmental bursary
Most fees paid personally by the student or their families are eligible for a departmental bursary. This is often in the order of £1,500 for UK/EU students or £3,500 for overseas students. Details will be sent in the offer letter.
Security clearance for Shrivenham:
Some Cranfield University courses are delivered at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham which is a Ministry of Defence (MOD) site. All applicants to courses that are wholly or partially delivered at Shrivenham must complete the BPSS (HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard V4 April 2014) prior to registration on the course or must already hold a security clearance to this level or higher.
Your application and BPSS clearance application will be shared during the application process with the MOD who have ultimate discretion over whether to admit applicants to the Shrivenham site. This information will be returned by the MOD to Cranfield University after checks are completed and no copies will be retained by the MOD.
BPSS checks may involve confirmation of the following:
- Identity (e.g. Photo ID)
- Nationality and Immigration Status
- Employment/Academic History (covering the past 3 years)
- Criminal record (unspent convictions only)
Additionally, applicants are required to give a reasonable account of any significant periods (6 months or more in the past 3 years) of time spent abroad.
This may be revised from time to time dependent on national security requirements. For more details, please consult the BPSS Guidance.
It will take additional time to process your BPSS clearance application once you have completed your course application.
Inability to access the Shrivenham site as a result of failure to meet security clearance requirements will result in a withdrawal of offer, or, if already registered, a termination of registration.
Your career:
Prepares you to practice as a professional expert witness in forensic ballistics, within forensic laboratories, police departments, government bodies and non-governmental organisations. It is also a necessary introduction that could lead into conducting research at PhD level in the subject.