• Licensed by the College of Policing, this course covers their National Policing Curriculum at the same time as developing your higher-level critical, analytical and research skills.
• Discover how to tackle the challenges facing the modern police force, including digital and evidence-based policing.
• Take part in enhanced training sessions in our new Crime Scene rooms, available on both campuses.
• Take your first step to a rewarding career, in which your wages can almost double in your first 7 years of work (polfed.org)
• Study in Cambridge or Chelmsford, Essex – home of our Policing Institute for the Eastern Region (PIER).

Why do I need this degree?

Policing is growing as a profession. The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and National Police Chiefs Council recently set out a ten-year plan for transforming the police, in order to deal effectively with rapidly changing demands in England and Wales. Part of this involves the professionalisation of the police service, ensuring it attracts people with the right skills, knowledge, behaviours and values to deliver their vision.

As of 2020, taking a pre-join degree will be one of 3 possible routes into policing as a Police Constable, along with apprenticeships or degrees in another subject. This route, licensed by the College of Policing, will allow you to follow their curriculum, as well as gaining a wider understanding of law enforcement and the justice sector.

In Essex alone, the number of police officers grew by 5% from March 2017 to March 2018 (source: Home Office Police Workforce data tables, March 2018). Our course will help you stand out as a potential police constable, so you can become fully qualified, and gain Independent Patrol Status, soon after you graduate.*

The future of the police will increasingly feature multi-agency collaboration, or ‘inter-operability’, driven by new forms of technology, evidence-based policing and innovation. Our course will prepare you for these developments, as well as training you to reflect critically and constructively on their implications.

*Successfully completing the BSc Professional Policing does not guarantee entry to any police force and graduates must meet the eligibility criteria of the force they intend to apply to and follow their specific recruitment processes, including a 2-year probationary period. Your BSc Professional Policing degree will have a currency of 5 years from your graduation date for entry as a Police Constable.

What will I do on the course?

You will learn to think like a police officer. This includes not only the legal and professional responsibilities of the role, but also modern policing strategies and ethical considerations, as well as key skills including decision making, problem solving, and negotiation. You’ll also pick up the necessary research skills to put evidence-based policing initiatives into practice.

All your modules will be compulsory, ensuring you develop in a team of your fellow students, and learn to understand the importance of collaborative work. You’ll begin with an introduction to the key ideas and practices that underlie policing specifically, and the criminal justice system in general, giving you a strong foundation to study at higher levels.

In year two, you’ll learn to use more advanced critical and analytical skills, and understand the significance of research methods in different areas of study. You’ll also learn to process information and make comparisons in order to develop new insights into police work and apply them to the workplace.

By your final year, you’ll be an independent learner taking on a Major Project, focusing all the skills and knowledge you’ve developed so far into the area of policing that interests you most.

Throughout the course, you’ll take part in a variety of methods designed to develop your understanding of current policing practices and theoretical issues. These include a high level of practical and problem solving work in the form of role-playing and case study scenarios, balanced with individual skills, research and teamwork.

How will we support you?

Throughout the course, you’ll be supported by our team of expert lecturers, including both current and former policing practitioners and senior police officers, as well as visiting lecturers and specialist guest lecturers.

Our links with regional police forces and practitioners result in many events, giving you plenty of opportunities to further engage with criminal justice professionals. These include workshops, study trips and research projects, as well as events organised by our Policing Institute for the Eastern Region.

We have four brand new Crime Scene rooms available on our Chelmsford and Cambridge campuses, located in a secured area with CCTV, two-way viewing window and audio recording equipment for enhanced training sessions, as well as mock court rooms on both campuses.

You’ll also be assigned your own personal tutor, for one-to-one advice, as well as having access to the University’s student support groups, including an Employability Service, and social networks such as the ARU Criminology groups on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.