Course overview
You gain a comprehensive education, based upon the professional responsibility of the police service and all who work within it, to serve and protect the public in the most effective ways possible. You gain knowledge and understanding of roles within the policing family to make an application to work as a member of police staff across the UK or within the military police. The degree has a currency of five years following graduation for recruitment into policing.
You explore the five policing practice themes of: response policing, policing communities, policing the roads, information and intelligence, and conducting investigations and gain the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills to prepare you for applications for the police service.
The teaching team have professional policing experience and relevant academic expertise. You focus on how to engage in lawful, safe and effective front-line policing, and to research, develop, implement and review evidence-based initiatives to improve policing performance.
Our well-established links and network of contacts with criminal justice organisations and practitioners, locally and nationally, our Policing Clinic, strong links with Her Majesty’s Prison, probation service, and Cleveland Police ensures your course is relevant and adds additional depth and breadth to your studies.
We have first-class facilities that enable you to develop and hone important professional and practical skills including our simulated police station equipped with an interview room, examination room, custody office and front desk. Our crime scene house presents over 30 crime scene areas where you can put theory into practice. You benefit from an immersive learning experience and expand your understanding of practical procedures. In addition, our replica court room has the features of a modern court and offers invaluable courtroom experience.
We have a proven track record of working effectively with policing and criminal justice partners which provide unique employability opportunities. Our exceptionally talented crime and investigation team are from a variety of backgrounds including policing professionals and academia giving you an authentic and current learning experience. Your teaching team draw upon local case studies to enrich your learning experience in class and by sending you out into the community.
Successful completion of the BSc (Hons) Professional Policing cannot guarantee your recruitment to the police service. Each force has its own requirements so please refer to the College of Policing website which outlines the official police recruitment processes, ie the Police SEARCH® or Day One Recruit Assessment Centre.
Top reasons to study this course
- This is a professional, knowledge-based degree which centres around the National Policing Curriculum for the police constable role.
- Your final year research project is based on a real issue in the locality.
- Teaching includes practical exercises in initial crime scene investigation and investigative interviewing.
- You are encouraged to appreciate alternative views and beliefs.
- You gain problem-solving and analytic skills to explore and identify solutions to community issues.
Course details
Course structure
Year 1 core modules
This module is the foundation of the programme. It introduces the English legal system and equips you with the methods and skills you need to study law at undergraduate level. You cover legal research and writing - essential skills for success throughout the degree. You also develop your key skills and begin to critically reflect on your own performance. In this module you are introduced to the University’s replica courtroom where you begin to develop law-specific and general presentation skills.
Introduction to Digital Investigation
You explore digital data, devices in modern society, and digital investigation principles and guidelines.
Introduction to Professional Policing
This module examines collaborative partnership working and a range of contemporary issues in policing. In addition you will be introduced to a range of underpinning legal and practical occupational skills.
Explores the role of the police within the community and the diverse nature of community issues, and partnership working.
Introduces criminology and criminological theory, including crime trends, causes of crime and responses to crime.
Understanding the Policing Environment
Examines the historical development of policing developing understanding of specialist units and external organisations and agencies.
This is a 20-credit module.
Year 2 core modules
Explores the use of the roads network for criminal activities, using counter-terrorism as a framework for exploration. Includes the principles of joint-agency working in terms of major incidents.
Explores the investigation of an offence, the gathering of other forms of evidence and develops knowledge of victim and witness care and support. Introduces use of the PEACE interviewing process in relation to victims of crime.
In this module you are provided with an opportunity to develop a critical knowledge and understanding of the nature and purpose of the criminal law, the basic elements of a crime, and a variety of specific criminal offences and defences. You will also develop a detailed and critical understanding of the rules and regulations which impact on the modern investigation of crime, with a particular focus on human rights.
Physical Evidence and Investigation
Provides understanding of the role of the investigator arriving at a scene of crime and how to locate, record, recover and assess the value of evidence to an investigation.
This is a 15-credit module.
Professional Policing in Practice
On this module you further develop understanding of vulnerability and victimisation and fair use of police powers, and intelligence-gathering.
Research Skills for Police Practitioners
Prepares you for the final year research project by introducing research methodologies, in particular, evidence-based policing.
Final-year core modules
Defendants and Witnesses in the Criminal Justice System
This module focuses on the law concerned with the obtaining and admissibility of evidence at trial. It challenges you to explore the relevance of evidence in the investigatory process and during the criminal trial. Whilst the module is suited for those who wish to continue their studies and join various legal or investigative professions, it is an academic module and examines the law of evidence from an academic viewpoint.
Ethics, Integrity and Contemporary Issues
Expands knowledge of ethical issues, use of integrity, investigation and record-making.
Consolidates learning gained across the course and gives opportunity to demonstrate understanding.
Enables the demonstration of research skills, group working, leadership skills, and presentation skills, within a group research project based on the principles of evidence-based policing.
Themes in Professional Policing
Examines motivation for offending, analysis of vulnerability, legislation and public protection together with other specialist areas
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
Modules are taught using a broad range of learning opportunities including: lectures, seminars, workshops, case studies, peer group discussions, independent study, e-learning and online materials, individual and group tutorials, guest speakers and practical sessions within the crime scene house, vehicle examination laboratory, mock police station, fingerprint and crime scene labs, interview rooms and the mock courtroom. During your final year you have opportunity to work on a research project linked to the work of the Teesside Policing Clinic, assisting you to play a pivotal role in the co-production of research which can be of value to the local community.
Formal work experience opportunities are not offered as part of this course, however valuable work experience can be gained by volunteering during your time at University. There are a range of volunteering opportunities available to you, supported by Volun-tees, the University’s online resource for volunteers.
How you are assessed
The programme is assessed through a range of formative and summative methods in oral, written and alternative formats. These comprise traditional assessment methods including:
• Essays
• Reports
• Reflective analysis
• Multiple choice questions
• Practical tasks
• Presentations
• Negotiated research and conference-style dissemination of findings
Our Disability Services team provide an inclusive and empowering learning environment and have specialist staff to support disabled students access any additional tailored resources needed. If you have a specific learning difficulty, mental health condition, autism, sensory impairment, chronic health condition or any other disability please contact a Disability Services as early as possible.
Find out more about our disability services
Find out more about financial support
Find out more about our course related costs
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
A typical offer is 80-104 tariff points from at least two A levels, T level or equivalent. GCSE English at grade 4 (grade C) or equivalent.
For general information please see our overview of entry requirements
You can gain considerable knowledge from work, volunteering and life. Under recognition of prior learning (RPL) you may be awarded credit for this which can be credited towards the course you want to study.
Find out more about RPL
Employability
Career opportunities
Police officer, either as a new police officer or at a more senior level via the Direct Entry Scheme. At a broader level, you will have the required knowledge and understanding to apply to be employed as police staff (such as civilian investigators, detention officers), or within the military police.
All programmes are designed to incorporate employability skills development alongside your degree course. Our staff utilise their extensive connections to provide many and varied opportunities to engage with potential employers through fairs, guest lecture sessions, live projects and site visits. In addition we offer a series of workshops and events in the first, second and third year that ensure all students are equipped with both degree level subject knowledge PLUS the practical skills that employers are looking for in new graduate recruits.
Our award-winning careers service works with regional and national employers to advertise graduate positions, in addition to providing post-graduation support for all Teesside University alumni.
