Professional Policing (with a Foundation Year)

Want a career on the policing frontline? You’ll be ready to cope from day one as a police officer after taking our BSc (Hons) Professional Policing degree.

Completing our BSc (Hons) Professional Policing degree will equip you with a high level of knowledge and expertise of carrying out the role of the police constable and the complex requirements of 21st century policing. Although specifically designed for those seeking to become police constables with Police forces in England & Wales, the programme is of value to those interested in other branches of law enforcement and who are considering pursuing a career in the wider policing sector.

Our well-rounded programme will give you the best chance of employability after graduation. You’ll get the chance to study under experienced professionals, who have walked the path you’re plotting, and all while using our state-of-the-art facilities. At University of Staffordshire we have a dedicated Crime Scene House for you to practise real-life situations and investigations, and mock courtrooms for a chance to experience a taste of the justice system. There’ll also be opportunities to listen to active professionals in guest lectures and seminars, and the chance to get out of the classroom and experience the world of law enforcement on organised trips.

Our BSc (Hons) Professional Policing is delivered under licence by the College of Policing, who are the professional body for policing in England & Wales.

The Foundation Year option is available for those who may not have the academic profile for direct entry onto the 3-year degree. It will prepare you for the Professional Policing degree by studying modules such as Crime in Context and Theories of Criminality. The Foundation year is taught with the City of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form College, so you will be on the University of Staffordshire Stoke on Trent campus and the college's campus for the first year.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: BSc (Hons) Professional Policing

Foundation Year
Crime in Context, Introduction to Principles of Law, Core Legal Skills, Sociology of Crime, Theories of Criminality,

Year 1
Introduction to Core Policing Principles, Introduction to Response Policing, Information and Intelligence, Introduction to Investigation, Introduction to Crime and Crime Prevention, Academic Study Skills

Year 2
Designing Research Projects, Research Methods Including PDP, Roads Policing, Policing Vulnerability, Professionalising Investigation, Policing in a Digital Age

Year 3
Evidence Based Project, Applying Research, Policing Complexity, Policing and Society, Option module
Options include: Cyber Crime, Intelligence Led Policing and Major Crime, Contemporary Terror Movements: Classification and Response, Transnational Organised Crime, Working with Offenders, Mental Health Assessment from Non-Mental Health Professional, Community Justice, Mass Death Scenarios

Each module normally includes practice or ‘formative’ assessments, for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are developmental and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark. There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. This includes a range of coursework assessments, such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations, final year, independent project and written examinations. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.