Program Overview

Professional Policing
The BSc (Hons) Professional Policing is a three year undergraduate degree designed to meet the requirements of the College of Policing National Curriculum. This course is licensed by the College of Policing as a Pre-join Degree in Professional Policing, which means it can be your first step towards becoming a Police Constable. During your studies you will learn about key crime topics, as well as have the opportunity to choose elective modules that allow a deeper look at areas of personal interest.

Full-time three year BSc (Hons) Professional Policing
Our degree in Professional Policing will provide you with a professional knowledge of the ethics, skills and attitudes that are critical to twenty-first century policing.

The course has been designed to meet the requirements of the College of Policing National Curriculum for the role of a Police Constable under the National Policing Education Qualifications Framework. We are licensed by the College of Policing to offer the Pre-join Degree in Professional Policing – a qualification recognised by police services that is achieved prior to recruitment.

You will study a range of key topics in the area of crime, criminology, law, terrorism, associated psychology, sociology and criminal investigation. You will also learn through realistic scenarios and the use of a crime scene suite or pop-up facilities* - watch the video. Optional modules will provide an opportunity to look deeper into issues such as forensic and criminal psychology, zemiology (the study of social harms), cybercrime and youth crime.

The degree will provide you with all of the knowledge required prior to joining the police force and will also be of interest if you are looking to study at Master’s level or work in the wider security and criminal justice sector.

Please note: The degree has a currency of 5 years following graduation for recruitment into policing and you must still apply to the police force and satisfy their eligibility criteria. Please contact the Police Service for more information.
*The video shows the London Bloomsbury crime scene suite. Facilities vary by campus.
Foundation Year (Four year)
You can choose to take an additional Foundation Year before you start your Professional Policing course. This introductory year focuses on developing an understanding of the legal sector and the key skills required to undertake the policing course. The Foundation Year involves studying six modules to develop the necessary skills and introduce students to key concepts to enable progression onto our three year degrees.