BSc (Hons)

Professional Policing including Foundation Year

Build the academic skills and knowledge needed to progress into professional policing.

How to apply Apply through UCAS Book an Open Day Chat to Us

Key Course Details

  • UCAS Code

    PP1F

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Pontypridd

  • Campus Code

    A

Fees

  • Home students

    £5,760*

  • International students

    £17,200*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
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This foundation year supports your transition into higher education while introducing key policing and public service themes.

DESIGNED FOR

If you don't have the right qualifications to apply for the BSc (Hons) Professional Policing degree year one entry, the foundation course offers an alternative route into degree study.

Career Paths

  • Police Constable
  • National Crime Agency
  • Intelligence Investigators
  • Police Emergency Call Handlers
  • Police Community Support Officers  

Skills taught

  • Problem-Solving
  • Decision-making
  • Self-Reflection and Personal Development
  • Research and Critical Thinking
  • Time Management and Organisation

We make a difference in practice, not just on paper. Our courses are designed by people who offer jobs - and taught by people who have real work experience.

video-course-professional-policing.jpg
Policing lecturers monitoring policing students in the Hydra suite
An image of a policing student sat in a classroom and smiling at the camera.

Course Highlights

Great Employment Opportunities

This course has helped many of our students land their dream jobs within crime, security and justice. 

Partnerships with the Police

USW delivers police training to 7 police forces across England and Wales with fantastic links to industry. 

Interactive learning

The degree is co-created with industry partners and local police forces, so that content and assessments are authentic, and industry focussed.

Outstanding Student Support

Whether it’s assessments or job applications our student support will be ready and waiting to help and assist. 

Module Overview

Prepare for university study by developing core academic skills while exploring policing and wider public service issues. Through teamwork, reflection and applied learning, you’ll build confidence and understanding across the foundation year. 

Starting your University Journey
Develop academic, personal and professional skills for university study. You’ll reflect on your progress, build confidence, and create an evidence-based portfolio to support your future learning.

Crime, Media and Culture
Focusing on crime and justice in society, this module examines how media, identity and public opinion shape understanding and policy. You’ll engage with key debates and propose evidence-informed reforms.

Inside the Investigation: Understanding Crime and Policing Practice
An introduction to criminal investigations in England and Wales, exploring investigative processes, ethical decision-making and professional practice. You’ll apply investigative thinking to realistic scenarios across different types of crime.

The Impact Challenge: Shaping Real World Solutions
The Impact Challenge is a Foundation Year project module where students work in teams to tackle real-world issues, developing solutions through research, curiosity, teamwork, and responsible problem-solving.

For details of the modules you will study after successful completion of the Foundation Year, please see the main course page.

Course Highlights

How you’ll learn

You will learn through active, real-world learning experiences that encourage curiosity, collaboration and independent thinking. Teaching helps you understand how learning works at university, while building academic confidence, critical thinking and self-reflection. You’ll work independently and with others through discussions, practical activities and guided reflection, supported by digital tools. Regular feedback helps you recognise progress and plan next steps, supporting wellbeing, resilience and a strong sense of belonging as you prepare for a higher level of study. 

How you'll be assessed

You’ll be assessed in different ways, including short tasks, coursework, presentations, and group work. Early assessments are designed to support your learning and help you understand what is expected at university. Most assessments are coursework-based and help you develop key skills such as research, academic writing, teamwork, and communication. You’ll also reflect on your progress and use university systems and digital tools. Clear, timely feedback will help you understand how to improve and support your next steps. 

Placements

If you want to volunteer as a Special Constable or police student volunteer, we will help you prepare for that role and will be happy to support your application.

Facilities

Our Hydra Simulation Centre - the only one in Wales - helps you practise dealing with realistic scenarios such as major crime enquiries. The simulation suite allows you to experience these incidents in a safe learning environment.

The Crime Scene Training Facility is where you practise your crime scene investigation techniques. We have forensic facilities where you can explore and analyse forensic evidence, and interview rooms with CCTV systems so you can observe and assess your interview skills. 

Our state-of-the-art moot court room provides an immersive environment for debates, press conferences with our journalism students and mock trials.

Why USW?

An academic presents to a room full of students and police officers in a classroom

Why USW?

90% of our BSc (Hons) Professional Policing students were satisfied with their course (National Student Survey 2023)

Careers and Employability

Graduate Careers

The Professional Policing degree is recognised as one of the three entry routes into becoming a police constable. It does not guarantee entry into the police following graduation, however those with a Professional Policing degree who are accepted by the police will have a shortened initial police training and this qualification will enable to you to apply to your chosen force and if accepted receive the shortened initial training. 

The Professional Policing degree is designed to support the police recruitment process, with opportunities to practice fitness tests, interviews and application tasks. Graduates are also well prepared for wider careers across the criminal justice system and security sectors, including roles within the Prison Service, National Crime Agency, and intelligence services, or progression to postgraduate study such as the MSc International Risk and Security.

Industry Partners

As you progress from the foundation year into the degree (years 1–3), you’ll benefit from strong industry links with police forces including Dyfed Powys Police, Gloucestershire Police, Wiltshire Police, Dorset Police, Devon and Cornwall Police, South Wales Police and Gwent Police as well as several other agencies that work alongside the police.  We keep in touch with our graduates, which gives us contacts with an even broader network of agencies working in the law enforcement area.

Careers Support

You’ll have access to advice from our careers and employability service throughout your studies and when you graduate. This includes one-to-one appointments with career advisers either in person or virtually through video call or email. We also have online resources to help explore career options and ensure you present yourself well to employers. These include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, an interview simulator, and application help. We also have over 2,000 registered employers targeting business graduates, so we’ll sign you up to receive weekly email alerts for jobs that match your interests too. 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

UCAS points: 48 (or above)

Typical qualification requirements:

  • A Level: DD to exclude General Studies

  • BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma Pass Pass Pass or BTEC Diploma Pass Pass

  • Access to HE: Pass the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 48 UCAS Tariff points

Additional requirements include:

The University normally requires a minimum 3 GCSEs including Mathematics and English at Grade C or above, or their equivalent but consideration is given to individual circumstances

Please note that whilst this course does not require a DBS Check for entry, some professions will not consider candidates who have certain types of criminal convictions. Therefore, if you have a criminal conviction and you are considering a particular career path we would recommend that you check with the relevant professional body or refer to their recruitment policy to make sure that your conviction will not disadvantage you.

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

 

We're here to help

Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.

 

Fees and Funding

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

Foundation Year Tuition Fee

The Tuition Fee for UK students on classroom-based foundation years is £5,760. Fees for subsequent years of the degree course will be charged in line with our standard full-time Home undergraduate fees. Where applicable, the Tuition Fee for international students is £16,200 per year.

Further Information

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

Fees and Funding

Additional Costs

Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of stationery, printing, or equipment during your foundation year.  For costs after you progress to year 1 of your degree programme, please see the list below.

  • Students have the opportunity to participate in an International Police Summer School. The costs for this activity will vary depending on the hosting country. This is optional. Cost: Up to £450
  • During the course students will be required to travel to venues in the South Wales area in order to take part in learning activities (*compulsory).

Students may have the opportunity to borrow laboratory coats on site but they may wish to purchase their own.

Cost: Up to £30

Some assessments may need to be printed (e.g. academic posters) and this will incur a cost to be shared amongst a work group or a cost for individuals depending on modules.

Cost: Up to £10

One hard copy of the students' final 10,200 word Dissertation is required.

Cost: Up to £10

Students may wish to purchase their own copies of Police related text, however, reference copies are available in the Library.

Cloud storage is available for use by students. Some students may wish to purchase additional storage devices to back up their work.

Cost: Up to £50

Students' material is generally available online and in digital format. Some students may wish to produce hard copies for their personal use.

University Quality Assurance

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

Life at USW

Halls are a big part of your student experience and there’s accommodation at all three of our locations. If you don’t want to live near the campus, there are great transport links to keep you connected.

A student sat smiling and talking to friends off camera in Treforest Student's Union
Student Life
The University's Ty Crawshays building at Treforest, Pontypridd.
Pontypridd Campus, Treforest
A double room at our Pontypridd accommodation featuring a large window.
Accommodation

How to apply

All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS. You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time).

Advanced entry

If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.

Applicants accepted through advanced entry may study a different combination of modules to those advertised, as they will be joining a course already in progress. You will be contacted and advised about these modules once your application has been processed and an offer made.

International admissions

International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.
 

Related Courses

Forensic Science - BSc (Hons) Learn more
Professional Policing - BSc (Hons) Learn more

Next Steps

How to apply
Apply Through UCAS
Book an Open Day
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