Forensic Science but at a posh university

[fakenamefornow]

I've changed my name for this so I'm not identified as an embarrassing show off. Daughter in Y12 thinking of forensic science for a degree or similar to work in forensic science. She's very academic, doing chemistry, biology and history A levels and predicted 3 A stars (got 6 grade 9s and 5 8s gcses). She wants to go to a posh University, ideally Oxford or Cambridge (if possible) but they don't do forensic science degrees. Any advice?

Has your daughter researched how many jobs are available in forensic science? Thousands of students study it…yet there are incredibly few roles in it. Get her to research destinations of student on each course.

Why not look at straight Chemistry degree (with an emphasis on analytical chem?) And then go o to a MSc in forensics if that's still what she's after.
AFAIK, forensics isn't often found at red brick unis, so either her course title needs to change, or her prefered uni selection needs to change.

Forensic chemistry normally requires higher grades. But if she wants Oxbridge she'll have to study something else as they don't offer 'newer' degree subjects.

They're not posh universities. They're just universities. Stop that mindset right now, you do her and yourself a huge disservice with that attitude.

Secondly if she wants to be a forensic scientist she should study chemistry. Perhaps she could hone her career research skills a bit more...

Well she can do Forensic science or go to Oxbridge
Which would she prefer?

Does the University of Kent still have a good reputation for forensic science?

If she wants to be a forensic pathologist she needs to train as a doctor.

Whats a posh university, whats more important to her.

Yes, its ranked the number 1 in the UK which should be the priority.

It seems a waste to do a forensic science degree. Your DD has very good grades. I’d encourage her to look at other options.

Your “ very academic “ daughter needs to grow up a bit and work out what’s more important to her - impressing her friends on social media or studying the subject / having the career she wants.

Being clever isn’t enough, she needs to be focussed and motivated. And to do her own research into the course that is right for her. Fair enough If she was 12, but I’m assuming that she is at least 16 years old if she already has GCSEs.

@HappyHamsters Thank you and yes, completely agree if she is serious about this as a career.

AFAIK it’s ranked 3rd in the UK. But it’s still very good.

It’s more important that she looks at the various options available at each institution, to see which ones appeal to her. Has she any idea what type of job she would like to do? Forensics is a very broad field.

I admire her direction... not many people know what they want to do.

My two cents:
I agree with the above saying Chemistry. What I found when doing my degree was that I actually didn't enjoy my 'planned' vocation. I did Biochemistry for my first degree and this is a nice broad subject giving access to medicine, genetics, environmental science, immunology... so I agree with those saying an 'intermediate' subject like Chemistry. I then did my Masters in something I really enjoyed and my PhDs and postdocs in degrees I truly loved and haven't looked back since.

BUT, if she REALLY knows she wants to go that route, yes university of Kent as it is supposedly the best because anyone in the field will also know that and will hire accordingly. If she's on the fence, then yes, Oxbridge as those names open doors in general.

What does she mean by forensic science? If she wants to be a pathologist she needs to do medicine.

If she wants to do forensic psychology a psychology degree would be a good place to start.

Alternatively she could do a degree in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, biomedical sciences, human sciences or natural sciences… and then an MSc in forensics.

My DS was told by his school that there are the same number of forensic science jobs in the UK in total as the number of forensic science graduates each year.
Given that huge numbers do master's now, definitely best to keep it broad at undergrad.

A forensic science degree will qualify her for just that. Nothing else. It’s not broad enough.

It depends if she wants to do forensic science as a degree or as a career. Ironically as PPs say, you have more chance of getting in to a FS job with a more traditional science degree subject.
Most of the unis that offer FS tend to be (to use your words) 'not-posh unis' because they are trying to get max bums on seats by offering the subject popularised by CSI type TV shows. Most people who study FS don't end up working in related fields.

Both UCL and Kings College London (both are world ranking universities) do a 1 year Masters in Forensic science. Perhaps if she picks a relevant first degree, then she could opt for the Masters course after this. I suggest she looks at the pre-requisite for these courses, and then chooses her first degree subject accordingly.

DD has always wondered about working in forensics - she’s currently in her 4th year of a chemistry degree at Oxford.

I agree that a good more basic degree then an specialized MA seems a more sensible route.

DS once said he wanted to study Forensic Science at Uni. One of his science teachers told him it was a Mickey Mouse degree and that he should study something like Biomedical Science instead. As it turned out he went off the idea and studied something entirely different!

That's not entirely true! My DS did a Forensic Science degree at Liverpool John Moores and he then went on to get a job in Financial Crime at one of the 'big 4' accountancy companies. The degree is quite specific but the investigation and analysis skills are very adaptable and transferable.

@bigbluebus Forensic Science is not a Mickey Mouse degree!

I work in an NHS lab setting- not forensics. The amount of forensics graduates we get applying for our entry level band 3 posts is quite the eye opener. I'd encourage her to do a straight science degree and then if she really wants to pursue forensics (not that many jobs about in it) she could go on to do a master's.