Crime and Investigation

The growth in policing and investigation as an area of criminal justice work is now broader than just the police service. Our Crime and Investigation BSc(Hons) course, therefore, offers you the opportunity to critically explore and assess the nature of crime and the use of policing and investigatory work in a variety of social contexts.

You’ll be supported to gain the knowledge and skills you’ll need to prepare for a future career working in organisations who engage with and in policing activities, including but not limited to local, national and international policing organisations, local councils, and private and voluntary sector organisations*.

This course is not accredited through the College of Policing and is not a ‘pre-join degree’ programme allowing direct entry into the police. It does prepare you well for one of the level 6 ‘top-up’ direct entry degrees that can be undertaken if you have already been awarded a degree and meet police entry requirements. If you're interested in a College of Policing accredited degree programme, please explore our Professional Policing BSc(Hons).

*Please note, some of these careers will require further education or training.

Why Study Crime and Investigation BSc(Hons) at University of Huddersfield?
On this course, you’ll gain real-world experience through a work placement in your second year. You may also have the opportunity have the opportunity to work and study abroad via the Turing Scheme.

You’ll be taught by academics who have worked in senior positions in the police, who will share the knowledge they gained from working on some of the most complex criminal investigations. Our tutors also have a wide range of research specialisms and knowledge of the issues involved in crime and investigation today, so they’ll give you an insight into key contemporary debates and concerns.

You’ll have the chance, also, to hear first-hand experiences and viewpoints from guest speakers who work in positions including detectives, crime and intelligence analysts, crime scene investigators and fraud investigators.

This course provides the opportunity for you to:

• Critically study the range of formal and informal responses to the prevention, detection, and investigation of criminal and anti-social behaviours.

• Explore the different ways of understanding the work of the police and other policing and investigative agencies nationally, cross-nationally and internationally, as well as comparatively with other models of policing.

• Consider the nature and function of policing, crime prevention and investigative work within the context of social control and order, and the relationship of such work to the state and to the public.

You’ll explore theories of criminal behaviour, strategies, and theories of policing, preventing, and investigating crime, accountability, and legitimacy, as well as evidence-based research and crime data analysis that can inform policing and the conduct of investigations.

You’ll have the opportunity to focus on security and terrorism, serious crime, international and borderless crime, and methods of research crime and policing issues. Key to the learning strategy is active and engaging debate around crime and investigation work, the historical and social context within which that work takes place, and its effectiveness in responding to contemporary crime challenges.

Professional Bodies
At Huddersfield, you’ll study the Global Professional Award alongside your degree†, allowing you to gain valuable qualities and experiences that could help you to get the career you want, no matter what your field of study is.

†full-time, undergraduate first degrees with a minimum duration of three years.

Why Huddersfield?
Huddersfield’s vibrant and friendly campus is a great place from which to study, while the town itself offers lots to see and do, with good transport links in and around the area.

Year 1 modules include:
• Exploring the Social Sciences
• Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Policing: Core Functions and Standards
• Myths and Realities of Crime.

To see the full range of modules and descriptions, please visit our website. A link to this course can be found at the bottom of the page in the ‘Course contact details’ section.

All our courses give you an overview of:
• contact time with your tutor
• time spent on independent study
• how you will be taught, assessed, and receive feedback

Take a look at the Teaching and Assessment information on our course page.