Overview

This unit aims to introduce students to fundamental processes involved in forensic science. Students are introduced to the chemical and biochemical techniques used by forensic scientists to assist the judicial system to help solve crimes, or to help prove that a law has been broken. The students will be exposed to practising Forensic experts that will describe their work practises and discuss relevant examples. Students are made aware of the history of this discipline. They are also provided with an introduction to some of the legal issues associated and some of the toxicology associated with forensic science.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
29-July-2024
27-October-2024
Last self-enrolment date
11-August-2024
Census date
31-August-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
13-September-2024
Results released date
03-December-2024
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Articulate key concepts of forensic science
  • State the major chronological landmarks in the history of forensic science
  • Distinguish between admissible and non-admissible scientific evidence in the legal system and argue how a new scientific technique can gain acceptance in a court of law
  • Give examples of the forensic application of Infra-Red (IR), Mass Spectroscopy (MS), High Performance Liquid. Chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography (GC) in areas such as document fraud and environmental damage
  • Apply the general principles of forensic science to case studies related to drugs in racing, sport and the workplace
  • Demonstrate the principles and limitations of DNA fingerprinting

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Lecture
2.00 12 weeks 24
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Tutorial
1.00 12 weeks 12
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning
9.50 12 weeks 114
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentGroup 5 - 15% 
Case StudiesGroup 10 - 20% 
ExaminationIndividual 40 - 60% 1,2,3,4,5,6 
QuizzesIndividual 20 - 30% 1,2,3,4,5,6 

Hurdle

As the minimum requirements of assessment to pass a unit and meet all ULOs to a minimum standard, an undergraduate student must have achieved:

(i) An aggregate mark of 50% or more, and(ii) At least 40% in the final exam.Students who do not successfully achieve hurdle requirement (ii) will receive a maximum of 45% as the total mark for the unit.

Content

  • Introduction: key concepts of forensic science, including trace and contact evidence
  • Chronological landmarks in the history of forensic science
  • Legal aspects of forensic science and the admissibility of forensic evidence in the legal system
  • Issues related to toxicology, drugs in racing, sport and the workplace
  • Forensic application of selected modern instrumentation analysis such as Infra-Red (IR), Mass Spectroscopy (MS), High Performance Liquid. Chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography (GC)
  • Document Fraud and Cybercrime
  • Materials, firearms, fires, explosions and human remains
  • Processes involved in DNA fingerprinting

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.