Professional Policing

This exciting course focuses on the main challenges a 21st-century police officer faces, such as protecting the vulnerable, digital policing and counter-terrorism measures.

It also provides a foundation knowledge of the role of a Police Constable and the five core areas of professional policing practice: Response Policing, Policing Communities, Policing the Roads, Information and Intelligence, and Conducting Investigations. You will also undertake your own research project into your chosen policing practice area in the final year.

The course is taught by former police officers who utilise their experience and expertise to deliver theoretical and practical topics required to enable students to pursue a career in policing.

Why you should study this course

Policing is an incredibly rewarding career and allows you to truly make a difference to a community while giving you the opportunity to protect members of the public.

Hear first-hand experiences and personal perspectives from people in the industry with our invited speakers2.

Previous guests have included:

• inspectors and sergeants from West Midlands Police to discuss their roles in relation to response and neighbourhood policing

• the Independent Police Complaints Commission

• British Transport police providing information on recruitment

• the youth offending service

• criminal justice department

• restorative justice partner agencies

• a Mental Health Triage speaker.

You may also have the opportunity to visit local police departments to increase your knowledge and understanding of current practices and local courts to contextualise theory about the criminal justice system2. Local officers may also attend sessions to provide feedback to students who are engaging in simulated policing scenarios as part of their coursework.

You can utilise equipment essential in everyday policing, such as handcuffs, body-worn video and police radios.

We also focus on current and future crime trends in addition to historic cases, so that you gain a rounded understanding of the policing industry.

For the most up-to-date information about course modules, sandwich years or part-time learning, please visit our website.