Welcome to Canterbury Christ Church University and congratulations on achieving a place on the Forensic Investigation with Foundation Year degree course at Canterbury Christ Church University. We have no doubt that you will find the next four years exploring the world of forensic investigation exciting, rewarding and challenging as you prepare for a truly remarkable career in criminal justice and related sectors.
Your Course Team
Academic Calendar: Semesters
View key dates for this Academic Calendar for 2025-26 including when teaching starts and finishes and when you break for holidays.
Your Welcome Week is an essential introduction to your course and the wider University, helping you to feel confident and prepared for your studies right from the very start.
It is important to check your Course Welcome Week for all the activities you are required to attend as part of your course induction. If any of your welcome activities are in groups, your course team will contact you before you arrive to let you know which group you will be in.
In addition, check the Student Events Hub for a range of fun activities. including the Students’ Union Welcome Fair, to help you make friends and live your best CCCU student life.
Your teaching timetable
UniTimetables provides an overview of all teaching activities for a course. If your course is taught in groups, it will display information for all groups, not just the group you will be assigned to.
Your individual student timetable will show you what modules and groups you are expected to attend via MyTimetable. This will be available for when your teaching starts.
Learn more about timetabling for new students including user guides and videos.
Thank you for choosing us!
We are sure that you have many questions, so we would like to reassure you that we have carefully designed your degree so that you receive important information at the times it will be most useful to you, in bite-sized chunks.
The first time we will meet formally will be the week commencing 15th September 2025 when you will be invited to join a number of Welcome Activities to outline the key information you need to get started with your studies. You will receive more details from the University regarding this in due course. On completion of your Welcome Activities, you will be a fully-fledged member of the forensic investigation cohort, and in the week beginning Monday 22nd September 2025 the real work begins as you start your first three modules. You may feel a mix of excitement and apprehension but remember that everybody shares the same emotions, and the staff will offer advice and guidance to help smooth your transition to university.
During your the foundation year of your degree you will study the following modules:
On the social side, the Student Union (CCSU) has a huge range of clubs and societies – all of which have unique social calendars of their own and offer endless opportunities to make lifelong friends and discover new hobbies. And you can always create your own society and cultivate your own community!
CCSU will be hosting their Welcome Fayre on Wednesday 17th September 2025. Make sure you keep checking the CCSU website for further details and how to get involved.
We understand that you may be nervous about your first few weeks on campus but rest assured - you'll be joining a nurturing and supportive environment where diversity, equality and individuality are part of everything we do.
You can find out more about our welcoming community and making friends.
If you are an International Student joining us then please see our International Student Support pages for further information and guidance.
Welcome week: 15 September 2025. Don’t miss it!
First taught session: in the week commencing 22 September 2025
Given that you have worked very hard to get into university, we recommend that you use the summer to prepare yourself for your transition to higher education and take some time to relax and rejuvenate. However, if you are keen to get started, we recommend any academic forensic introductory textbook that suits your learning style.
Our students particularly like:
You could also dive into the subject by watching crime documentaries and researching high profile crimes on the internet. Why not explore how forensic investigation was used in this case? The White House Farm murders, committed by Jeremy Bamber, have divided opinions on investigation and forensic searches for years. The Murders at White House Farm is a series based on this.
International students: don't miss out! Make sure you register for our international student success programme which provides practical advice on preparing to live and study in the UK.
Have a question?