CHE-20047 - Module Specification
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2020/21

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2020/21

This module is designed to develop a student¿s knowledge of skeletal and muscular anatomy, allowing them to demonstrate an understanding of variation and how this can be applied to forensic casework. Students will learn and practise the techniques for building the biological profile (sex, race, stature, age) of an individual using skeletal morphology and odontology, which can be used for identification purposes in criminal, disaster and accident situations. They will identify the skeletal elements most useful for different analyses; learn about the different techniques used to obtain each aspect of profiling and compare and discuss their relative merits of each. Students will also be taught how to identify and evaluate different types of pathology and trauma, and understand how this can be incorporated into the profile of an individual. They will learn about the role of the forensic anthropologist at the crime scene and in the morgue and practise the techniques involved in the search and recovery of skeletal remains.

This module will focus on examination of the human skeleton (forensic anthropology and odontology) in a forensic context. It aims to provide knowledge and understanding of variation in the human skeleton, and how this variation can be used for identification purposes in criminal, disaster and accident scenarios. It teaches and develops the skills needed to recover human remains from a variety of crime scenes and encourages students to be critical of the current methods practiced both in the lab and out in field.

Intended Learning Outcomes

1
2
1,2
1,2
1,2
2
1,2

Study hours

Lectures - 22 hours
Labs/demonstrations - 9 hours
Tutorials/discussion groups - 6 hours
Independent self-study - 113 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment