University of Cumbria
UCAS Code: L900 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
60 credits overall
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Higher
T Level
Pass (C and above)
UCAS Tariff
About this course
In a society marked by escalating security concerns and intricate criminal challenges, individuals face the pressing need for a dedicated force to maintain law and order and address emerging threats.
Immerse yourself in a robust, industry relevant curriculum, designed and licensed by the National College of Policing. Explore the principles of obtaining intelligence, leadership and the nuances of criminal behaviour, equipping you with the essential tools to confidently embark upon a rewarding career in the forces.
Elevate your university experience by applying to volunteer in the local Special Constabulary, providing you with real-world policing experience alongside your studies, and giving you the golden ticket to our immersive Major Incident Event, where you will work alongside Paramedics and Forensic Scientists to develop your inter-professional skills.
You will benefit from the unwavering support of our expert academics, who have experienced policing and law enforcement first hand during their career. Their practical insights and real-world knowledge will enhance your learning experience, providing you with a robust foundation for your future endeavours in the field.
**Course Overview**
Our BSc (Hons) Professional Policing course provides a strong foundation in both the theory and practice of modern policing, alongside key supporting disciplines such as criminology, ethics, and the interpretation of legislation and procedure.
The curriculum is set by The College of Policing, ensuring your studies align with national standards and best practices. Delivered by an experienced academic team with diverse policing backgrounds, the course is enriched with insights from guest speakers across the policing and wider criminal justice sectors. As a licensed ‘pre-join’ degree, it’s the perfect starting point for those aspiring to a career in policing.
You’ll learn through a blend of engaging teaching methods, including lectures, seminars, tutorials, directed study, and independent research. Our facilities also allow for immersive practical training, with simulated crime scenes and scenario-based role plays designed to mirror the challenges and complexities of policing in the real world.
Upon successful completion of the programme, you'll be academically prepared to enter the policing profession or pursue a variety of roles in the broader criminal justice field.
**On this course you will:**
- Learn how to make effective and dynamic police decisions and solve problems.
- Learn the fundamental powers and procedures that Police Officers use every day.
- Have the opportunity and be supported in applying for the local Special Constabulary, providing you with real-world policing experience alongside your studies.
- Have the opportunity (if a serving Special Constable) to take part in our CATE-nominated Major Incident exercise. You will work alongside Forensic Science and Paramedic Practice students to develop your inter-professional skills.
**What you will learn**
Our course is designed to be progressive, building on the required knowledge and skills as laid down in the National Policing Curriculum. At Level 4, we start with the history, structure and role of the Police Service, before examining such fundamentals as decision making, ethical considerations, vulnerability and risk, legislation and procedure, academic study skills and aspects of criminology and psychology.
As we move to Level 5 we drill further down into vital aspects of underpinning theory, including academic research skills. At Level 6, the more complex aspects of ethics, decision-making and vulnerability are further examined, alongside optional modules covering specific aspects of policing (such as crime investigation, or intelligence) and a year-long dissertation project.
The University of Cumbria's BSc in Professional Policing has been specifically designed to meet the requirements of the National Policing Curriculum, as mandated by the College of Policing.
Modules
**Year one**
- Understanding the Police Constable Role
- Policing Vulnerability in Contemporary Society
- Police Legislation
- Academic Study Skills and Applied Social Sciences
- Information and Intelligence
- Policing, Decisions and Ethics
**Year two**
- Professionalism, Values and Standards
- Vulnerability and Risk
- Specialist Procedures
- Operational Policing
- Academic Research Skills
- Criminological Concepts
**Year three**
- Coaching and Mentoring
- Response Policing
- Community Policing
- Police Investigation (specialism)
- Information and Intelligence (specialism)
- Dissertation
Assessment methods
Some of the assessments within the pre-join degree have been designed to reflect the professional requirements of report and document writing within policing.
The purpose of the assessments we undertake are to monitor both your learning informally (using formative assessments) and to assess your progress at the end of each module and the programme overall (using summative assessments).
You will be offered continuing support to make sure your progress is on track and that the key principles and supporting guidance around evidence-based policing threads through the learning you undertake on the programme and in all that you learn and understand. Each module tutor and your personal academic tutor will ensure that you are clear about the intended learning outcomes for each module and the assessment marking criteria to make sure you understand what you are being asked to learn and upon what criteria you are being assessed. Examples of assessment methods include: case study, reflective reports, academic essay, e-portfolio, production and presentation of reports, poster and oral presentation, written report.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Carlisle - Fusehill Street
Business, Law, Policing and Social Sciences
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Law
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Law
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Law graduates tend to go into the legal industry, and they usually take similar routes. Jobs are competitive — often very competitive - but starting salaries are good and high fliers can earn serious money - starting on over £24k in London on average. Be aware though - some careers, especially as barristers, can take a while to get into, and the industry is changing as the Internet, automation and economic change all have an effect, If you want to qualify to practise law, you need to take a professional qualification — many law graduates then go on to law school. If you want to go into work, then a lot of law graduates take trainee or paralegal roles and some do leave the law altogether, often for jobs in management, finance and the police force. A small proportion of law graduates also move into another field for further study. Management, accountancy and teaching are all popular for these career changers, so if you do take a law degree and decide it’s not for you, there are options.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Law
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£17k
£20k
£23k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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