Program Overview

By adding a science degree to your law degree, you’ll develop the kind of observation, analysis and reasoning skills that will give you a competitive edge in your career.

As an example, if you combined the Bachelor of Laws with the Bachelor of Science in Forensic Biology and Toxicology, you would learn the most up-to-date techniques to gather, analyse and present scientific evidence, such as DNA profiling and drug metabolism, in a court of law.

If you’re more interested in environmental science and sustainability, you could combine the Bachelor of Laws with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science or Environmental Management and Sustainability. You would explore how to create a better environment for people while sustaining biodiversity and world resources and examine the relationships between air, land, water, plants, animals and people to address the challenges arising from our interactions with our environment.

If you want a future at the cutting edge of Law, combining your Bachelor of Laws with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology will allow you to remain at the forefront of the industry and ahead of demands. You will gain an understanding for people and the impacts that technology has made to our lives and our culture, allowing you to future-proof your career.

Major: Forensic Biology and Toxicology

Put your curiosity to work as you investigate crime from a scientific viewpoint. Our course is unique in WA as it focuses on biology and life sciences, and forensic science including DNA analysis and Toxicology.

Industry terms such as forensic palynology (the use of pollen grains to connect a suspect to a crime scene), forensic anthropology (the identification of skeletal remains) and forensic entomology (the insects that decompose human remains) will become part of your professional vocabulary.

You will learn the dynamics of blood pattern analysis and test your knowledge in the lab, exploring your fingerprints and features that are used for identification. You’ll also investigate wildlife crime through DNA analysis using the same techniques that are used to identify elephant ivory and rhino horn.

Using the latest cutting-edge analytical technology, you will learn how to identify toxins in body fluids and contaminated products, helping you piece together crimes.

Along with the technical skills, you will also get hands-on experience with forensic DNA profiling and analysing human profiles in simulated casework.

3 reasons to study Forensic Biology and Toxicology at Murdoch

• Five-star rating for student-teacher ratio for all undergraduate degrees by the Good Universities Guide 2024.
• Get hands-on experience as you apply DNA profiling and other forensic techniques from the lab to simulated crime scenes.
• Learn the latest real-world techniques and policies, with course input and guest lectures from forensic experts from PathWest, and ChemCentre.

What you’ll learn

• Forensic science
• Forensic DNA analysis
• Forensic anatomy and anthropology
• Forensic toxicology