Undergraduate

BSc Professional Policing

This hands-on degree will give you the knowledge and skills to become a police officer.

Key information

Study mode

Full-time

Course length

3 years

Typical offer

112 points

A Level grades: BBC

UCAS code

M9P4

Choose an option

Standard course option With a foundation year

Start date

Sept 2023 Sept 2024

Course overview

This brand new programme will give you the knowledge, skills and behaviours for a career in the police service.

All new police recruits must be qualified to degree level. This, combined with government commitment to raise the number of police officers, means you'll have excellent employment opportunities after graduation.

We work closely with Humberside Police to ensure that you will have the opportunity to apply to become a Special Constable or Police Service Volunteer - meaning that you can gain first-hand experience of policing while studying. By training as a Special Constable alongside your degree, you'll get a taster of life as a police officer, and be ready to start your career after graduating.

This hands-on programme is designed to give you the knowledge, skills and behaviours for a career in the police service. You’ll also benefit from our strong partnerships with local, regional and national criminal justice agencies. This means we can offer you stimulating evidence-based policing project opportunities, as well as field trips to courts, police stations and prisons.

Put what you learn into practice in our purpose-built replica crime scene facility right here on campus. A recent addition to the university, it provides detailed and realistic crime scenes for you to explore. Get hands on: collect evidence, explore criminal activity and see the world of forensic science brought to life.

Our expert staff each have their own relevant research specialisms – from modern-day slavery to knife crime and from domestic violence to crimes against the environment and hate crime. They design the modules with you in mind –their research powering their teaching.

For further information on the pre-join degree, please visit the College of Policing website.

In 2020 the College of Policing confirmed that the Professional Policing Programme met the core requirements of the Pre-join Degree National Programme Specification. The Professional Policing Programme will be launched in September 2021.

More to explore

Download your prospectus Come to an Open Day Accommodation Fees and finance School of Criminology, Sociology and Policing

Six reasons to study Professional Policing at Hull

Get hands on experience using our replica crime scene facility
Designed in collaboration with Humberside Police
Gain first-hand experience of policing
Fulfil the requirements to join the police force
Clear route to a career after graduation
Annual criminal justice careers event

What you'll study

The course consists of 120 credits per year. Most modules are 20 credits, meaning you’ll study six modules each year. Some longer modules, such as a dissertation, are worth more (e.g. 40 credits). In these cases, you’ll study fewer modules - but the number of credits will always add up to 120 credits.

First year Second year Final year

First year modules

Core

Applied Criminology and Crime Prevention

You will be introduced to key concepts, theoretical approaches and their application, in relation to crime, victimisation and response to crime and deviance.

Applied Research Methods and Professional Practice

Using extensive ‘real world’ case studies and datasets, this module will provide students with an understanding of those research strategies and methods most relevant to undertaking research within the fields of policing, criminal justice, crime prevention and community safety and harm reduction.

Policing Communities

This module provides insight into the meaning, purpose, development and implementation of community policing.

The Criminal Justice Process and Public Sector Management

You will gain an understanding of the roles and functions of the different agencies working within the British criminal justice system and introduces students to the principles of evaluative research, with special emphasis on evaluation of criminal justice and crime prevention initiatives.

Understanding the Police Role

You will develop an understanding of the social, political and historical development of policing, placing British policing within its local, regional and national context.

Valuing Difference and Inclusion

Covering equality, diversity and human rights considerations as a core function of professional practice, you will examine the relationship between workforce representativeness, equal opportunity and non-discrimination, police legitimacy and effective service provision.

Second year modules

Core

Decision Making and Discretion

This introduces you to theoretical explanations of decision making, the role of discretion and bias in decision-making, and provides an understanding of the rationale underpinning the development and application of the National Decision Making Model (NDM), and how it is applied to policing practice.

Police Investigations

This introduces students to the key aspects of the criminal investigation process.

Policing the Police

In this, you will cover police professional standard issues and the application of ethical and professional standards within policing practice and governance.

The Policing of Vulnerability and Risk

You will be considering the ways in which the police service understands and responds to vulnerability, providing an overview of the strategies and legislation that have been developed to reduce victims’, offenders and police officers susceptibility to risk and harm.

Victimology, Victims and Witnesses

Considering the broad areas of victims, victimisation and victimology as they apply within the policing context, you will address the legal and professional responsibilities of the police and allied criminal justice partners in providing support to victims and witnesses of crime.

Problem Solving and Public Protection

You will study issues of public protection and provides insight into police service and allied partnership arrangements to support individuals in need of public protection.

Final year modules

Core

Policing Cross Border Crime

This module considers how increased mobility, developments in information and communication technology, transportation and postal systems have impacted upon new and emerging areas of crime.

Policing Insight

Considering contemporary issues and developments in relation to policing, you will have the opportunity to develop your skills and professional practice as they relate to, and are applied within the professional policing context.

Policing the Roads

This module introduces you to the legal and professional responsibilities of roads policing to enable you to engage in lawful, safe and effective front-line roads policing.

Response Policing

You will develop an understanding of the legal and professional responsibilities of response policing and aims to equip students to engage in lawful, safe and effective front line response policing.

Counter Terrorism and Extremism

This module covers national strategies, policies, preventative measures and professional policing practice in relation to countering terrorism and extremism.

Evidence-Based Policing Project

You will gain a thorough grounding in research planning and design, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis in order to apply evidence-based research strategies and skills in an area relevant to professional policing practice.

All modules are subject to availability and this list may change at any time.

How you'll study

Throughout your degree, you’re expected to study for 1,200 hours per year. That’s based on 200 hours per 20 credit module. And it includes scheduled hours, time spent on placement and independent study. How this time’s divided among each of these varies each year and depends on the course and modules you study.

Kickstart your career by

Tackling crime hands on

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Humberside Police partnership

Designed in collaboration with Humberside Police, your employability will be enhanced as you'll complete your degree in line with their Special Constable programme.

Crime Scene Facility

Find out more

Entry requirements

UK Residents International students

Typical offer

A level grades BBC
BTEC grades DMM
Points required 112

Work out your estimated points

We offer a Foundation Year to boost your skills and knowledge – it’s a great way to make your way into higher education.

Switch to the foundation course

Switch to the foundation year

Points can be from any qualifications on the UCAS tariff, but must include at least 80 points from

A levels
BTEC Subsidiary Diploma, Diploma or Extended Diploma
OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma, Diploma or Extended Diploma
CACHE Diploma or Extended Diploma
Irish Leaving Certificate
Scottish Highers
Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma
or a combination of appropriate Level 3 qualifications

Alternative qualifications

IB Diploma: 28 points
Pass Access to HE Diploma overall with a minimum of 112 UCAS tariff points

Worried you don’t quite meet our entry requirements?

We consider experience and qualifications from the UK and worldwide which may not exactly match the combinations above.

But it’s not just about the grades – we’ll look at your whole application. We want to know what makes you tick, and about your previous experience, so make sure that you complete your personal statement.

If you have any questions, our admissions team will be happy to help.

We offer a Foundation Year to boost your skills and knowledge – it’s a great way to make your way into higher education.

Switch to the foundation course

Switch to the foundation year

If you require a student visa to study or if your first language is not English you will be required to provide acceptable evidence of your English language proficiency level.

This course requires academic IELTS 6.0 overall, with no less than 5.5 in each skill. See other English language proficiency qualifications accepted by this University.

If your English currently does not reach the University's required standard for this programme, you may be interested in one of our English language courses.

Visit your country page to find out more about our entry requirements.

Our lecturers

Darren Downs

Professor Iain Brennan

Mike McKue

Dr Simon Green

Dr Wendy Laverick

Click and drag

Take a tour of the facilities

Professional Policing students enjoy 24/7 access to the recently-restored Brynmor Jones Library which boasts more than a million books.

Explore the virtual tour

Fees and funding

Student Fees Additional costs

£9,250 per year*

EU/International

£15,400 per year

*The amount you pay may increase each year, in line with inflation - but capped to the Retail Price Index (RPI).

The fees shown are for 2023 entry. The fees for 2024 have not yet been confirmed and may increase.

UK students can take out a tuition fee loan to cover the cost of their course and a maintenance loan of up to £9,978 to cover living costs.

Substantial discounts are available for International students.

More information on fees can be found in the Money section of our website.

Your tuition fees will cover most costs associated with your programme (including registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examination).

There are some extra costs that you might have to pay, or choose to pay, depending on your programme of study and the decisions you make. The list below has some examples, and any extra costs will vary.

Books (you’ll have access to books from your module reading lists in the library, but you may want to buy your own copies)
Optional field trips
Study abroad (including travel costs, accommodation, visas, immunisation)
Placement costs (including travel costs and accommodation)
Student visas (international students)
Laptop (you’ll have access to laptops and PC’s on campus, but you may want to buy your own)
Printing and photocopying
Professional-body membership
Graduation (gown hire and photography)

Remember, you’ll still need to take into account your living costs. This could include accommodation, travel and food – to name just a few.

Your future prospects

Police officer
Community support officer
Control room operator
Police analyst
Police service volunteer

Low levels of the police workforce has resulted in a government commitment to raise the number of police officers in England. This commitment has coincided with the new condition that all new police recruits must be qualified to degree level.

This, combined with our strong partnership with Humberside Police means you'll develop the knowledge, skills and hands-on experience to enhance your chances of employment after graduation.

Although the qualification is recognized by the police service, successful completion of the degree does not guarantee recruitment as a police constable. Prospective students are advised to check the eligibility criteria for recruitment as a Police Constable and as a member of the Special Constabulary.

Ready to apply?

You can apply for this course through UCAS. As well as providing your academic qualifications, you’ll be able to showcase your skills, qualities and passion for the subject.

APPLY NOW VIA UCAS HOW TO APPLY

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