Professional Policing
Policing has changed dramatically in recent years and understanding the law, how to investigate crime and how to bring criminals to justice is an enormous challenge. Our BSc in Professional Policing teaches you the skills and knowledge you’ll need through practical teaching.
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Ready to step into the ranks of the next generation of police officers? Uphold law and order with confidence with our Professional Policing degree.
Designed for
Preparing for a career in the police or passionate about justice? We’ll give you the skills to achieve your ambitions. You’ll investigate crime scenes, review cold cases, learn theory, and apply the law. Combining theory and practice, you’ll graduate ready for your dream job.
Career paths
- Policing
- Government intelligence
- Security
- Government departments
- Criminal justice
Skills taught
- Investigation
- Law
- Problem-solving
- Expert witness
- Critical thinking
Course Highlights
Module Overview
Over three years you will gain the skills and experience you need to enter the police force as a professional police officer. From gathering evidence and working with vulnerable people to forensic investigation and public protection, you will finish your degree ready to get to work.
Year One
Inside the Criminal Justice System*
Exploring Crime and Deviance*
Policing Principles: Exploring the Foundations of Police, Duties and Law
The Dark Side of Technology: Crime, Criminals and the Police
Policing Vulnerability: Risk Harm
The Forensic Detective: The role of Forensic Science in Policing
Beyond the Books: Academia, Employment and Professionalism in Criminal Justice*
Year Two
Public Protection and Safeguarding: The Challenge of Keeping People Safe
Response Policing
Researching Crime, Security and Justice
From Crime Scene to Court: Investigating Crime
Maintaining Law and Order: Policing, Duties, and the Law
Beyond Borders: Serious, Organised, and Transnational Crime
Year Three
Criminal Justice Inquiry: Dissertation (traditional project or internship project)
Policing in Practice
Police Duties and Law
Digital Investigators: Digital and Cyber Crime Investigation
Beyond the Uniform: Understanding Police Recruitment
Exploring Homicide: From Corporate Homicide to Serial Killers**
Breaking the Silence: Examining Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence**
*These modules can be studied 100% through the medium of Welsh
**Optional modules
In your first year, we’ll give you a solid introduction to policing. You’ll learn about the role and duties of a police officer and how policing fits into the criminal justice system. We’ll explore new areas of law, such as digital crimes, and start exploring the role of forensics in investigation.
Inside the Criminal Justice System*
In this module you will explore the legal system in England and Wales and gain an understanding of criminal law, criminal justice agencies and crime statistics reporting. Examine court procedures, the judicial system, and key organisations like the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Police, Courts, Probation, and Prison Service.
Exploring Crime and Deviance*
This module will allow you to deepen your understanding of criminological theory, from the evolution of crime to its contemporary contexts. Engage in current debates and apply criminology concepts to explore how crime is socially, culturally, and historically constructed and perceived.
Policing Principles: Exploring the Foundations of Police, Duties and Law
This module will introduce you to the history of modern policing in England and Wales and offer you with an understanding of the role of the Police Service in England and Wales. The module will cover a number of strategic elements such as the roles of those charged with setting the strategic direction of the police service, for example the responsibilities of Home Secretary and the Police and Crime Commissioners’ (PCC). You will become familiar with how the PCC holds Chief Constables to account for the delivery of the service on behalf of the public.
The Dark Side of Technology: Crime, Criminals and the Police
This module provides you with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills relating to how technology is used in the Criminal Justice Sector and how technology can be used to facilitate crime. You will develop introductory knowledge about the differences between physical and digital crime and offences associated with digital-facilitated crimes such as sexting/revenge porn; bullying; online fraud exploitation, and also how technology may be used to detect and prevent crime.
*This module can be studied 100% through the medium of Welsh
Policing Vulnerability: Risk Harm
In this module you will learn about how vulnerable people can become victimised by criminals. You will learn about concepts such as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s), substance abuse, mental ill-health, Modern Slavery, County Lines.
The module will also focus on developing your interpersonal skills, so that you can appropriately respond to incidents and safeguard vulnerable people.
The Forensic Detective: The role of Forensic Science in Policing
This module will provide you with a comprehensive overview of modern forensic science approaches to crime scenes. It will involve the presentation of the latest, research-led, techniques together with sessions from external forensic practitioners and police officers and a set of modern, hands-on practical sessions. Using the University’s Forensic Crime Scene Training Facility, you will learn about securing and preserving a crime scene and gain skills in forensic record keeping.
Beyond the Books: Academia, Employment and Professionalism in Criminal Justice*
This module is designed to support you with your academic development. So, in this module you will develop academic and professional skills for success in university but also within the criminal justice sector. The module includes time management, writing, referencing, personal skill development along with digital competency and critical analysis.
*This module can be studied 100% through the medium of Welsh
We'll use some high-profile cases to look at the role of policing and explore how to gather evidence and interview people. We’ll explore vulnerability and public protection, and you’ll combine classroom learning with practical sessions where you’ll put your new skills to the test.
Public Protection and Safeguarding: The Challenge of Keeping People Safe
This module will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of public protection and safeguarding, focusing on multi-agency approaches to address strands of vulnerability. You will explore safeguarding legislation, including the Social Services and Well-being Act, Children’s Act, and examine the roles and responsibilities of multiagency working. Key topics include risk assessment, responding to abuse, and how trauma impacts on young people. The module also covers offender management through MAPPA, victim support, and ethical dilemmas in Policing.
Response Policing
This module will enable you to extent your operational policing knowledge. This module is practically based, so you will be able to apply your learning into a wide range of operational scenarios, developing wider peripheral skills in additional to the operational requirements. For example, you will learn about Conflict Management, Arrest, Detention, Stop and Search Powers and First Responder Protocol.
Researching Crime, Security and Justice
This module equips you with research skills to prepare, analyse, interpret, and present both quantitative and qualitative data, with a focus on social research in the criminal justice sector. It covers evidence-based research, research methodology, and the role of academic research. Key topics include hypothesis formation, primary and secondary data, reliability and validity, and ethical considerations. You will explore various research methods like surveys, interviews, focus groups, and systematic reviews, learning their advantages and disadvantages. This module will provide you with the skills and knowledge needed to undertake the dissertation module in Year 3.
From Crime Scene to Court: Investigating Crime
This module prepares you for complex police investigations, covering essential legislation such as POLICE AND CRIMINAL EVIDENCE ACT, RIPA, and CPIA. You will explore investigation principles, ethical considerations, and the stages of investigations, including suspect identification, scene and evidence preservation, and victim and suspect handling. Key topics include behavioural profiling, decision-making, and the role of internal specialists like Crime Scene Investigators and Family Liaison Officers. You will examine specific investigations (e.g., homicide, trafficking) and learn investigative interviewing techniques (e.g., PEACE model). The role of the CPS, legal processes, disclosure, and justice outcomes are also explored, with a focus on ethics and effective communication.
Maintaining Law and Order: Policing, Duties, and the Law
This module focuses on empowering you to critically analyse legislation in relation to police practices and procedures, particularly in the context of roads policing. You will learn to interpret and apply legislation, including the Criminal Justice Act, Public Order Act, through to other police duties such as dealing with offensive weapons and drug offences. The module also covers roads policing, including laws like the Road Traffic Act, and examines police roles in road safety, ethical decision-making, and handling serious road-related incidents.
Beyond Borders: Serious, Organised, and Transnational Crime
This module will provide you with comprehension of serious, organised crime, terrorism, extremism & radicalisation. It covers key definitions, typologies, and the historical evolution of these crimes, highlighting the role of law enforcement, including the NCA and international cooperation. You will explore examples like money laundering, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. The module also addresses terrorism and extremism, focusing on radicalisation, far-right extremism, and the role of digital platforms in spreading hate.
Criminal Justice Inquiry: Dissertation (traditional project or internship project)
Design and conduct a social science research project in criminal justice. Develop your competence in research design, data collection, and analysis for contributions to evidence-based practices in the criminal justice sector.
Policing in Practice
This module will develop your understanding of response policing by focusing on communication skills and decision-making tools used by police constables. The module will develop your ability to handle operational matters, such as conflict management, safeguarding, and investigation, within varied environments. You will explore key operational considerations like stop and search under Police and Criminal Evidence Act, safeguarding, and crime pattern analysis. Critical topics such as major and critical incidents, street gangs, knife crime, and trauma management are also taught.
Police Duties and Law
This module equips you with an in-depth understanding of the key legislation relevant to policing, focusing on its application to common incidents. You will explore a range of topics, including offences against the person, misuse of drugs, public order offences, theft, fraud, and criminal damage. The module also covers the role of the police in managing public order incidents and provides practical skills for interpreting and applying laws in real-life policing scenarios. By the end of the module, you will be able to demonstrate a strong grasp of legal principles and their application within scenarios.
Digital Investigators: Digital and Cyber Crime Investigation
In this module you will be provided with a comprehensive understanding of digital crime investigation, digital policing, and the challenges of e-crime. This module covers the principles and practices of investigating digitally facilitated crimes, with a focus on organised crime. You will gain insight into key terminology, legislation, and regulations governing the use of digital technology in criminal investigations. The module also includes practical exercises, exploring forensic practices, evidence management, and real-world case studies. It aligns with the National Police Chiefs Council's guidelines on digital evidence, emphasising evidential integrity and the application of relevant laws like Police and Criminal Evidence Act and the Data Protection Act.
Beyond the Uniform: Understanding Police Recruitment
This module will prepare you for a career in policing by providing you with a comprehensive understanding of the profession and the police recruitment process. This module places a focus on leadership, ethical conduct, resilience, and personal development. You will explore key topics, including the College of Policing Competency and Values Framework, the 2023 Casey Report, and the challenges of operational policing. The module will provide you with practical support into the recruitment process, including application stages, assessments, and interviews, to help you to be successful in your application to the Police service and other organisations.
Exploring Homicide: From Corporate Homicide to Serial Killers**
Delve deep into homicide, covering its social and legal aspects, patterns, and characteristics both in the UK and internationally. Gain insights into homicide investigative process, including evidence production, potential challenges, and failures.
Breaking the Silence: Examining Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence**
Develop your understanding of violence against women, domestic abuse, and sexual violence within the context of England and Wales. Explore theoretical perspectives, policy responses, and practical implications and delve into legal and policy responses within the criminal justice system.
**Optional modules
Course Highlights
How you’ll learn
At the University of South Wales, you’ll follow a curriculum set by the College of Policing. Our teaching approach does not include traditional lectures; instead, we focus on smaller group tutorials and practical skills sessions. You will also have opportunities for independent study. We will explain each new concept and area of study to you and provide chances for you to put what you have learnt into practice using our state-of-the-art facilities. Your assessments will include written work, presentations, portfolios, and interactive exercises.
This course is delivered over three days each week, with two days dedicated to independent study and off-campus work.
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Teaching staff
Our teaching team has members from every aspect of policing and every rank. We represent a variety of backgrounds, specialisms and interests. We recruit for difference, not similarity, to give you access to a wealth of expertise and experience. You’ll learn from specialists in community policing, traffic policing, protecting vulnerable people and counter-terrorism. Our team includes detectives and even a former chief constable.
The one thing we all have in common is our commitment to you to help prepare you for a future in policing, no matter which path or specialism you choose.
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Placements and work experience
We work closely with Dyfed Powys Police, Gloucestershire Police, Wiltshire Police, Dorset Police, Devon and Cornwall Police, South Wales Police and Gwent Police as well as many other agencies that work alongside the police. With these professional partnerships, we’re able to support work placements and work experience for our students. We do our best to provide practical opportunities to test your skills and knowledge, but nothing beats learning on the job. You’ll even have an opportunity to investigate cold cases through our cold case unit. Several student investigations have led to the police reopening old inquiries.
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Facilities
The facilities for our Professional Policing course really are second to none. We are one of the few universities in the world to have a Hydra Minerva Simulation Centre, an immersive learning environment, used by the police to promote the development of critical thinking and key decision-making skills. We also have a Crime Scene Training Facility where students develop practical crime scene investigation techniques; well-equipped forensic labs and a mock courtroom.
You can expect to have every opportunity to put your learning to the test in practical exercises so that when you start your policing career, the procedures are familiar.
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Why USW?
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Why USW?
90%
of our BSc (Hons) Professional Policing students were satisfied with their course.
National Student Survey 2024ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
UCAS Points: 104 (or above)
Typical qualification requirements:
- A Level: BCC to exclude General Studies
- Welsh BACC: Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BC at A Level to exclude General Studies
- BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Merit Merit
- Access to HE: Pass the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 104 UCAS tariff points
Additional Requirements:
The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 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 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing 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
£9,535
per year*£16,200
per year*Additional Costs
As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. 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 travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.
*Obligatory
- Students have the opportunity to participate in an International Police Summer School. The costs for this activity will vary depending on the hosting country. Cost: Up to £600
- During the course students will be required to travel to venues in the South Wales area in order to take part in learning activities. Cost: Up to £30
Students may wish to print a hard copy of their final 10,200-word Dissertation.
Cost: Up to £10
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.
Students may wish to purchase their own copies of Police related text; however, reference copies are available in the Library.
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.
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.
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.