Policing and Applied Criminal Investigations

Whether working in the private security sector, as part of a legal team or within policing, many roles now require the technical skills and legal knowledge you gain from this employment-focused degree. You develop an enquiring mindset in a structured and safe environment, expanding your analytical abilities and understanding across a range of areas related to policing and criminal investigations. By the end of the course, you will have a solid grasp of the investigation process, ensuring you can hit the ground running in a fast-paced work environment.

The course aligns to the curriculum of the National Investigators Exam (NIE) as well as with Policing and Law QAA benchmarking.

Facilities and specialist equipment

• Mock-custody suite

• Police interview room

• Scene-of-crime ‘flat’

• Simulation floor that takes you from a mock home to hospital, giving you hands-on experience of a range of scenarios

Career-powered links
We have robust associations with criminal justice stakeholders, local councils, companies, and voluntary sector and practitioners, which open up opportunities for volunteering and work placements in the community or in practice. We also have strong links with Bedfordshire and Thames Valley police forces offering opportunities for placements within their service.

Your student experience

The course has been developed and is taught by retired police officers with an extensive professional background in policing and investigations.

Take up opportunities for volunteering, placement and work-based learning on a course that blends practical and scenario-based learning with theory.

Develop specific skills in investigations, interviewing, managing evidence and building a case.

Put theory into practice in our mock-custody suite, police interview room and scene-of-crime ‘flat’.

Undertake virtual placements with simulation learning software.

Build transferable skills in areas such as management and leadership, research analysis, IT/digital proficiency and being a changemaker in your field.

Interact with local charities, policymakers and community influencers with our #SASS Change Maker initiative, which aims to increase awareness of and response to topical societal issues.

Specialised learning support and guidance from academic success coaches.

Course modules

To build your academic and research skills, we include special units that prepare you for researching and writing your assessments and final-year dissertation: Introduction to research and social enquiry and Introducing academic skills (Year 1); Research 1: collecting data and Research 2: exploring data (Year 2).

Year 1
Public protection – Explore the agencies involved in public protection; a range of criminal offences; victims and witnesses; and the importance of impartiality. Developing evidence – How to gather lawful, ethical evidence that can be successfully used to prove or disprove involvement in an incident. Applying criminal legislation – Examine criminal law and use real-world resources and databases to apply these laws to a range of case studies and offences. Antisocial behaviour and partnerships – What legislation exists to stop it, partnership approaches to preventing it and ways to deal with those responsible.

Year 2
Criminal investigations – Learn different investigative methods and lines of enquiry and be able to apply them with sound reasoning to a case or crime. PEACE model investigative interviewing – Explore a range of interview strategies and lines of enquiry, and apply them to a given scenario, including ‘no comment’ interviews. Managing complex situations – Gain the knowledge and skills to respond effectively and appropriately to major and critical incidents as well as complex situations. Multi-agency approach to vulnerability and exploitation – Understand the different ways abuse is understood today and how agency partnerships can work effectively.

Year 3
Contemporary issues in policing – Examine the most significant policing challenges globally including terrorism and counter-terrorism, cybercrime and digital policing. SASS Change Maker dissertation or project – Plan, research and produce an in-depth piece of independent research or a service-improvement project. Major investigations – How major investigations are conducted and managed, with particular focus on the role of the senior investigating officer (SIO). Evidence-based practice – Develop insight into how police can try and tackle certain issues; apply your own ideas to those problems. Coaching and leadership in the workplace – Why coaching, mentoring and leadership are essential to managing complex investigations and decision making.

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