Professional Policing, Undergraduate - BSc (Hons) - 2022/23 entry

The course will help to develop your critical thinking about policing, policy and practice through complementary modules encompassing the theory and principles of operational policing, legislation and police powers, structured interviewing skills and much more. To develop these skills, you will be involved in practical activities, events and will be exposed to a range of guest speakers. These speakers will be from a range of criminal justice and public sector agencies as well as police officers of all operational levels.

The course will utilise a range of exciting and innovative forms of assessment which match the working practices within policing. You will also be supported in applications for job roles within policing and will have opportunities to take part in mock assessment centres, fitness and team building exercises.

You will also benefit from a partnership between the university and West Midlands Police (WMP). The organisation has agreed to support with the training of twenty five special constables both within the service settings and on campus. WMP will provide support and guidance through both the assessment and training stages so as to ensure students feel capable and equipment to face a variety of incidents and issues.

This course will combine all of these elements together whist offering you the opportunity to take part in a work placement which could be within a variety of areas in the field community safety and criminal justice. You will be encouraged to take part in to visit courts, police training establishments and prisons.

The course material will help develop a professional focus and real world experience, ensuring that upon graduation, you are equipped to make an impact in your chosen career. The course teaching team will also provide additional support sessions to refresh you on academic and research skills so as to ensure you are fully prepared to carry out independent research projects throughout the course.

Successful attainment of the BSc in Professional Policing does not in itself provide any guarantee of recruitment as a trainee Police Constable. Each police force within England and Wales sets out its own recruitment process and selection policy and entry requirements vary from force to force. You are therefore strongly advised to check the specific requirements of their chosen force prior to undertaking study. It is also important to contact local force areas and the college of policing to ensure that you are fully familiar with the eligibility criteria and any barriers which may inhibit you becoming a police officer.

Certificate of General Secondary Education 60% PLUS Community College Diploma/Associate Degree with minimum grade 60% / 2.5 / C+

Note: Engineering courses require minimum C+ score in Mathematics.

Even though you may have met the stated requirements, if your first language is not English, we may ask you to take an additional English Language Test when you arrive.

Based on the results of the test, you may be required to attend regular English classes to improve your level of competence. English classes are provided free of charge and are available to all non-UK students who wish to attain greater fluency in English.

The BSc in Professional Policing is an academic knowledge-based degree, based upon the national curriculum for the police constable role. It will provide you with an entry route into policing if you wish to study before you apply to join a police force.

Your education will continue in force if you become a probationary police constable (see below). If you wish to use a pre-join degree as your entry route to the police service, you must apply to join a police force within five years of your graduation.

The pre-join degree may also be of interest or benefit to those considering a career in other roles within policing, for those seeking to understand how society is policed, for those who have an interest in law enforcement or for those want to enter the wider justice sector.

Please note: successful achievement of the pre-join degree does not provide any guarantee of recruitment as a probationary police constable. Each police force sets out its own recruitment process and selection policy; the entry requirements vary from force to force. Prospective students are strongly advised to check the specific requirements of their chosen force before undertaking study.

How do I apply to become a police constable?

Once you have graduated with a pre-join degree, you will need to apply to join your chosen police force as a probationary police constable. To do this, you must:

• Apply within five years of your graduation date
• Meet all of the recruitment criteria for the particular force.

Once you have successfully joined a force as a probationer, you must then:

• Undertake further practice-based learning and assessment in your force
• Demonstrate competence in the police constable role
• Complete the two-year probationary period, in line with police regulations.

Further information

The range of both interpersonal and academic skills you will develop studying the BSc in Professional Policing will help to support your future career aspirations. Whether you pursue a career in policing or choose instead to take on roles in other sectors, the broad range of assessments, experiences and team activities that you will take part in, will provide to be valuable in future employment.

Special Constable Training (West Midlands Police)

As part of a business relationship developed between the university and West Midlands Police (WMP), you will be given an opportunity to align your studies to training to become a special constable (SC) with WMP. Some of the SC training will be done by WMP at their training facilities and some will be provided from within the course content. This is an exciting and creative opportunity to enhance career potential for a whole range of graduate roles and employment sectors.