This free course, Forensic science and fingerprints, covers how science can make fingerprints easier to study, how they are used in court and some of the questions about the extent to which fingerprint identification is sound and scientific. Students will learn the principles used in classifying and matching fingerprints (often called marks).

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of some of the basic facts, language, concepts and principles relating to the principles and significance of fingerprint matching
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of some of the links between forensic science and the legal system
• draw together information from different sources and make logical deductions as a result
• demonstrate an understanding of how forensic scientists operate and use scientific evidence in a legal context.