Oxford Forensic Medicine Summer School
Advanced pre-university course in Forensic Medicine in Oxford colleges
The Immerse Education Forensic Medicine Course allows students to experience topics covered at an undergraduate level, giving them an insight into studying forensic medicine in the future. The course will build upon knowledge students have gained from classroom-based science lessons and their personal interests. Through case study work, we will develop this knowledge and apply our new learning to real-life cases. The course will have a strong emphasis on theory with practical opportunities embedded.
Learn directly from expert academics from world-class universities
You will explore novel concepts and share ideas in small groups of like-minded and ambitious peers from around the world. In small class sizes averaging 7 students, you will be guided by expert tutors who have honed their expertise through teaching undergraduate students at world-class universities, including the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard.
Our rigorous vetting process guarantees that all participants are taught by engaging and supportive educators who are, most of all, enthusiastic about sharing their expertise to ensure our summer school teaching is of the highest quality. Immerse™ is an unrivalled academic experience.
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Average class size of 7
Maximum class size of 10 students -
1:1 tutorials
Supportive, challenging and engaging -
Academic workshops
Develop a practical understanding of your subject -
World-class tutors
Academics from Oxford and Cambridge
Boost your confidence and develop key attributes in academic skills workshops
Our workshops are geared towards unlocking participants’ potential, giving them the tools to prepare for the next steps of their education and future goals. Build upon existing study skills to support future university-level learning.
These workshops explore a diverse and enriching range of topics – past examples have ranged from ‘Productivity tips’ to ’21st Century Technology Skills’. We’re sure that you’ll learn something completely new. Unlike traditional schools, Immerse allows you to learn beyond the traditional curriculum.
This programme is designed for students with at least an upper-intermediate level of English (B2). If you are unsure if you meet this requirement, please contact advisor@immerse.education.
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Certificate & detailed participant evaluation
All participants receive an individual report from their tutor -
Personal project or Creative portfolio
Develop a personal project or a creative portfolio to present at the end of the course -
Experience Oxbridge life
Live and learn like an Oxbridge undergraduate -
Enhance key academic skills
Interview skills, academic writing and presentation
Example tutor:
Kimberly B
Guest speakers from previous summers
Dr Lynda Shaw
Abi Oyepitan
Dr Nigel Warburton
Work hard, play hard.
Action-packed social programme
Outside of lessons, we are proud to offer a busy and diverse social programme to help you get the most out of your time in Oxford. This includes activities such as punting on the River Cam, zorb football and a murder mystery night in the college.
There are also two excursions during the programme, one day trip to visit Oxford and its constituent colleges, as well as an optional day out in London, seeing the city’s most famous landmarks as well as some free time for shopping. Those who choose not to travel to London are invited to afternoon tea in Oxford.
Activities and excursions are run by our team of friendly mentors – whose main job is to maximise your enjoyment.
Work hard, play hard.
A unique social programme.
Experience traditional 'Formal Hall'
Formal Hall is a traditional weekly meal that takes place in every college. This is an opportunity for students to dress up, dine by candlelight in the magical surroundings of an Oxford University college’s dining hall.
As an Immerse student, you will experience formal dinner three times during your stay – once per week in Oxford, as well as in an Cambridge University college on the excursion day.
Formal hall is truly a memorable occasion, so remember to bring some smart clothes!
A unique social programme.
Live and study in colleges
of Oxford
Experience life as an Oxford University undergraduate
All participants will be allocated to a college a few weeks before arriving, based on their dates and subject choice.
If you would like to stay in the same location as a friend/sibling – please let us know and we will do our best to arrange this, where possible.
Males and females have separate accommodation in every college, and there is wi-fi available throughout.
For more information, please visit this page.
Student Welfare & Safety
An accredited provider of academic short courses
Immerse Education is accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC), the leading mark of educational quality for the academic sector. Our accreditation with the BAC sends a positive and clear message to students and partners that they are studying with a trusted and reliable provider who has met a series of globally recognised quality assurance standards, both in terms of academic provision and student welfare.
The safety and well-being of our participants is our number one priority, and all staff undergo enhanced background checks and receive thorough safeguarding training before interacting with any students.
For more information, please visit our Pastoral Information page.
Meet some of our mentors and
college managers
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FreyaMentor -
JemMentor -
Lily-MaeMentor -
PoppyMentor -
SophieMentor
Immerse™ Forensic Medicine Example Modules
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Module 1 - Legal systems
In order to begin any forensic medicine course it is essential to gain a basic understanding of the legal system. This varies from country to country, however, through this topic, we will cover the basics in order for students to be able to understand the commencing topics. We will study the 5 legal systems of the world and analyse where forensic medicine plays an important role. Furthermore, we will be introduced to the hierarchy of a courtroom and what members we can expect to see in a court hearing/police investigation. -
Module 2 - Forensic psychology
Forensic psychologists apply psychological theory to a criminal investigation to help understand psychological problems associated with criminal behaviour, and the treatment of those who have committed offences. We will look at how psychology plays a role in criminal law, looking at case studies involving violence and aggression, interpersonal and social skills and intervention to help stop illicit drug and alcohol use. Following this, we will investigate treatment potential for individuals in order to reduce their chance of reoffending. -
Module 3 - Forensic psychiatry
Forensic psychiatry is an area under forensic medicine which plays an essential role in crime investigation. Through providing specialist advice to the court, we will investigate the role of forensic psychiatrists focusing particularly on mental health. A key area of focus will be on the defendant’s fitness to plead and fitness to stand trial, which we will develop our knowledge through case study work. -
Module 4 - Forensic Toxicology
Within this topic, we will begin by focusing on how to retrieve drug, poison and chemical samples from crime scenes and autopsies. This will require us to develop our knowledge of chemical samples and their effects, therefore being able to give an expert opinion as to whether the measured concentration of a chemical could account for a toxic effect, or whether the level of exposure is consistent with the normal use of the chemical. As with previous topics, we will apply this knowledge to court rulings and the effect toxicology reports have on sentences. -
Module 5 - Forensic pathology
Another branch of forensic medicine is forensic pathology. This relates to concerns, suspicious or unexplained deaths, as well as assessing the injuries of live victims. We will be looking at significant court cases and examining the role of forensic pathologists, familiarising ourselves with the way in which they assess the victim and present their findings in court. -
Module 6 - Forensic DNA
Every person has a unique DNA profile and DNA profiling is a state-of-the-art procedure that can be used to identify individuals on the basis of their genetic makeup. With a focus on crime scenes, we will investigate how DNA recovered from the scene will be compared to DNA samples taken from suspects. As a class, we will look at how DNA profiling enhances the criminal system’s accuracy and has changed the legal system over time. We will be looking at how forensic genetics is concerned with providing data and intelligence to law enforcement in forensic investigations and to civil authorities for geographic ancestry, genetic genealogy and allegations of doping in sports. -
Module 7 - Forensic Odontology
We will continue delving into forensics by learning about forensic odontology and how this is applied to both criminal and civil law. Forensic odontology can include personal identification of the deceased, especially in cases of mass disaster or when facial recognition is inconclusive. In this topic, we will investigate The Haiti earthquake in 2010 which left a number of victims, not all of whom were easily identified, and explore how they went about identifying each one. -
Module 8 - How forensic medicine has changed over the years
In the past, there was no way to connect DNA from a crime scene to a suspect. We will be looking at how forensics has changed over time and benefited our legal system. In this topic, students will study the proportion of homicide trials after 1778 which saw the influence of key forensic pathologists. Furthermore, we will look at the first use of DNA testing which proved an individual guilty. -
Module 9 - Post mortem changes
The rate of postmodern changes is either accelerated or decelerated by various intrinsic and extrinsic factors. This topic will look into these different factors and how they affect forensic investigations. We will also be learning about the signs which show forensics what may have happened to the body, such as changes in skin, lips and muscles. This will lead us into thinking about how important it is to store a body correctly during postmortem examinations. -
Module 10 - Sudden natural death
Sudden natural death has several characteristics such as unknown clinical history, very short course to death, evidence of trauma, interference of postmortem changes and social implications of the diagnosis. From these points, it makes it increasingly challenging for forensic pathology. We will investigate how forensic teams find causes of unexpected deaths and explore the next steps in the investigation. -
Module 11 - Forensic anatomy
In this topic we will learn more about our anatomy, becoming more familiar with key vocabulary. We will study the work of forensic anatomists who try to determine, examine and identify preserved or unpreserved body parts in order to establish sex, age, race, and stature. In court, this will help determine the cause of death. As a class, we will use case studies to improve our understanding and analysis of forensic anatomy.
Download syllabus overview
Download syllabus overview
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30th July – 12th August 2023
