Forensic artists aid in the identification or location of victims of crime, missing persons, or human remains. They help with the identification, apprehension, or conviction of criminals. The course starts by giving you a strong foundation in anatomy, observational drawing, and anatomical illustration skills, before moving on to more specialised modules in the second semester.
You will go on to learn the practical techniques involved in a range of forensic art applications including facial reconstruction, post-mortem depiction, age progression, and composite facial sketching. You will use a variety of specialist hardware, including 3D scanners and haptic feedback styluses, and 3D modelling software. You will learn anatomy from Thiel embalmed cadavers and prosections. These cadavers are soft-fix, which means they retain real-to-life qualities, including realistic colour, tissue quality, and flexibility. You'll be taught by highly specialised tutors from scientific backgrounds such as anatomy, as well as experienced forensic art supervisors.
Careers:
Skills learnt on this MSc are highly transferable to a range of science and art applications. Our alumni have gone on to careers in areas such as:
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please
September 2025
Dundee City Campus
University of Dundee,
Dundee,
DD1 4HN, Scotland, United Kingdom
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
90% of the University of Dundee graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating (HESA, 2023).