lincoln may 04

							The Rise of Forensic Science
        Lincoln, 12th May 2004




            Dr Tina Overton
 Director, LTSN Physical Sciences


                    LTSN Physical Sciences Centre
Entries to A level examinations




                    LTSN Physical Sciences Centre
LTSN Physical Sciences Centre
Full time undergraduates



          97/8   98/9   99/00   01/02   01/02

Chemistry 13714 13728 13110 12030 11645

Physics   9731   9706   9480    9025    8605

Biology   17542 17536 17130 16625 15705




                         LTSN Physical Sciences Centre
Full time male students




                LTSN Physical Sciences Centre
Full time female students




                 LTSN Physical Sciences Centre
Social class of science students




                     LTSN Physical Sciences Centre
Ethnic origin of science students




                     LTSN Physical Sciences Centre
            UCAS


               2002         2003          2004
Chemistry      1088         1015          925
Chemical       42           26            22
Physics        785          768           744
Astronomy      196          189           194
Biology        2902         1852          1806


                   LTSN Physical Sciences Centre
         UCAS


             2002        2003          2004

Forensic     158         211           373
Pharmac…     131         120           142
Sports Sci   1247        2110         1178
Space Sci    55          60            32
Medicine     290         304           300

                LTSN Physical Sciences Centre
       Institutions


                      pre-92      post-92
Forensics major       3           16
Forensics minor       10          1
Chemistry             38          21
Biology               43          21




                  LTSN Physical Sciences Centre
 Widening participation


 50% of age group

 Typical science student
   Male, white, middle class, well qualified
   25% decrease over 5 years

 Typical Forensic Science student?
   New discipline, vibrant recruitment

                        LTSN Physical Sciences Centre
What is Forensic Science ?


 New discipline - no history
 Course content, who teaches it?
 Underpinning science
 Who are the students?
 What are their aspirations?
 What can they do?
 ‘General’ science?
 What about employment?
 BSc vs MChem/MBiol
                       LTSN Physical Sciences Centre