University of Plymouth has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
Course summary
Our Professional Policing degree is licensed by the UK College of Policing and is delivered by leading criminologists and former officers with 30 years’ experience at senior rank in the police service. The course will equip you with the skills and practical experience you need to work in law enforcement, security and all aspects of policing. Realistic crime scenes and immersive virtual reality scenarios will enhance your understanding of yourself and your place in policing by gaining deep appreciation of its fundamental philosophy and ethics and forming life-long habits of reflective practice. As Plymouth is the only University offering this degree in the Southwest Peninsula, you will enjoy a beautiful and exciting area with the unique and hidden challenges of policing in a rural, urban, and coastal environment.
- Licenced by the UK College of Policing as a Pre-Join degree for all policing roles.
- Open doors to careers in the private, public or third sector – highly transferable skills mean you will find opportunities in a diverse range of enforcement and investigative settings.
- Taught by experienced former senior police officer and leading criminological academics linking academic theory to practice. This gives unprecedented access to real examples of the materials being taught such as major event management such as the Olympic torch relay in 2012.
- Realistic crime scene investigations using real locations and scenarios which will test your forensic recovery skills as well as a sociological and criminological undertaking of why and how such crimes occur.
- State of the art 3D virtual reality crime scenes to augment the live experience of crime investigation.
- Participate in live suspect interviews using actors to develop your detective skills by real life engagement with the interview process.
- Present your evidence of the case in a simulated court room and learn with our law students who will be practicing their own skills by cross-examining you in the court environment.
Modules
In your first year, you will start with a history of the modern police, their role and function and how they respond to public need and gain insights into roads policing and the trauma experienced by first responders. Then, understanding the causes of crime and applying criminological theory, you will problem-solve real policing issues by analysing criminal and community intelligence. In your second year, by immersing yourself in our realistic crime scene, you will form investigative hypotheses, interview live suspects, and develop policing skills to solve a murder scenario. You will then look at the ethics of the police; the police service operates in a risky environment with the need for fast paced but high-quality decision making. You will work through real-life case studies where the police have caused the death of a member of the public to enhance your decision-making capabilities under stress. In your final year, you will challenge your understanding of how to safeguard the vulnerable, protecting children and tackling extremist radicalisation and domestic abuse. Police corruption and cyber-crime are examined in depth, and you will be able to contribute to the development of evidenced-based policing through your dissertation research into real-world policing problems. The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry and up to date information can be found on our website.
Assessment method
For up to date details, please refer to our website or contact the institution directly.
Professional bodies
Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.
- College of Policing
Qualified teacher status (QTS)
To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:
- Course does not award QTS
How to apply
31Jan
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- L900
- Institution code:
- P60
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
International applicants
The University of Plymouth has a dedicated International Student Advice (ISA) service who will support you from the day you accept an offer at the University, right through to graduation. They will offer help and advice so you can get the most out of your studies, and your time in the UK, visit www.plymouth.ac.uk/student-life/services/international-students/international-student-advice for more information. Once you have applied through UCAS, your conditional offer letters will also be sent to you by email, so be sure to enter your current email address on your application and to check this email regularly. You'll need your unconditional letter, and the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) that we'll send you, when applying for your student visa to the UK. A tuition fee deposit will be required before we'll send you the CAS. We're a licenced Sponsor under the Points Based System. To comply with our duties as a Sponsor, we're required to check other aspects of your application in addition to your academic achievements, for example any previous studies, financial status and your immigration history in the UK. For course entry requirements (inc. English requirements) please refer to the specific page for the course you are interested in (www.plymouth.ac.uk/study). A recognised English language qualification (e.g. IELTS) would be required or successful completion of one of the University's pre-sessional English Language courses. Check our country pages to find out more about application from your specific home country www.plymouth.ac.uk/international/study/international-students-country-guides. International fees, please visit our fees and funding pages www.plymouth.ac.uk/study/fees. If you have any questions please contact [email protected].
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - 104 - 120 points
A level
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DMM
Access to HE Diploma
Scottish Higher
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - D*D - D*D*
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Advanced Higher
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 26 - 28 points
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
Extended Project
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
T Level - M
GCSE Maths and English at Grade C/ 4 or above are required for this course. Policing and Security Management pathway Ready to make a difference? The Policing and Security Management pathway is for those interested in a policing-related career and the academic study of policing and security management.
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | With 5.5 in all elements. |
Full details of English Language requirements can be found on our website.
English Language Requirements
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/international/how-to-apply/english-language-requirements
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
For all information about tuition fees, please visit our fees and funding pages at www.plymouth.ac.uk/study/fees
* Fees are correct at the time of publication and may be subject to change.
Provider information
University of Plymouth
Drake Circus
Plymouth
PL4 8AA