Prepare for an exciting and rewarding career in the police service by studying for our College of Policing-licensed Professional Policing degree. Study in Cambridge or Chelmsford and gain the knowledge and skills you need to become a police constable.*
Get hands-on experience in our crime scene rooms and mock court rooms, as well as through practical role-playing, case study scenarios, workshops and study trips. All our Professional Policing students follow the College of Policing’s National Policing Curriculum, learning to think like a police officer and developing problem-solving, communication, negotiation, leadership and research skills. These will help you rise up the ranks when you join the force, potentially doubling your salary in just seven years according to polfed (www.polfed.org/pay/constable-pay-scales).
Policing is growing as a profession. The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and National Police Chiefs Council recently set out a 10-year plan for transforming the police, in order to deal with rapidly changing demands in England and Wales. As of 2020, taking a pre-join degree will be one of three possible routes into policing as a Police Constable. 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.
Learn how to tackle the latest challenges facing the police force, work with our Policing Institute for the Eastern Region on cutting-edge research projects, and attend guest lectures by serving officers, guided and supported by our team of expert lecturers.
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 this course does not guarantee entry to any police force. You must meet the eligibility criteria of the force you intend to apply to and follow their specific recruitment processes, including a two-year probationary period. Your Professional Policing degree will have a currency of five years from your graduation date for entry as a Police Constable.
**Careers**
Studying our BSc Professional Policing will put you in an excellent position to apply to be a police constable, demonstrating your ability to contribute to the policing profession through being a capable problem solver, communicator, negotiator and leader, as well as being socially and emotionally intelligent in the performance of a professional policing role. The skills and knowledge you gain will also prepare you to work in the wider criminal justice sector, including the prison service, local government or the security industry.
However, successfully completing the degree does not guarantee your entry to any police force: you must also meet the eligibility criteria of the force you intend to apply to and follow their specific recruitment processes. You will need to pass medical and fitness tests, background and security checks, and a series of assessments including National Recruitment processes and Force vetting. If you complete the course and are subsequently employed by a force, you will be subject to a two-year probationary period post-join, as specified in Police Regulations.
While recruitment processes and eligibility criteria are broadly similar for entry as a police constable, each police force in England and Wales sets its own recruitment process and selection policy, and entry requirements can vary from force to force. You're advised to check your eligibility against the information on the website of the force that you are interested in applying to. More detailed eligibility criteria are available on the College of Policing website, and the websites of individual police forces.
Course Details - Modules
Year one, core modules: Understanding the Police, Criminology and Crime, Introduction to Evidence-Based Policing, Introduction to Policing in Practice, Ethical Policing, Year two, core modules: Response Policing, Research Skills for Police Officers, Roads and traffic policing, Approaches to Policing Problems, Vulnerability and Risk, Information, Intelligence and Investigation Year three, core modules: Undergraduate Major Project, Police Policy and Reform, Community Policing and Crime Prevention, Counter-Terrorism Policing, Public Protection, Professional Policing
Course Details – Assessment Method
Your studies will involve various methods designed to develop your understanding of current issues and debates within policing, and help you apply theory to different scenarios in the role of a Police Constable. This will also be reflected in the range of assessment methods, including essays, portfolios, problem-solving activities, case studies, blogs, policy documents, presentations, and a major research project.
You will also be encouraged to reflect on your evaluative work through group discussions, peer review, reflective writing and self-evaluation, further developing your critical and analytical skills.
Course Details – Professional Bodies
Professional Bodies are not listed for this Course.
How to Apply
26 January This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application Codes
Course code:
L661
Institution code:
A60
Campus Name:
Cambridge Campus
Campus code:
Points of Entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
Year 1
Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry (Year 2 and Beyond)
Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry are not listed for this Course.
International applicants
Standard Qualification Requirements
from a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent).
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
