Professional Policing BA (Hons)

The Pre-join Policing degree is a new entry route into the police force and has been designed to prepare new recruits to meet the demands of 21st century policing. This vocational degree meets the new standards set by the College of Policing’s Policing Education Qualification Framework (PEQF), will be used by all police forces across England and Wales as part of the newly-categorised modes of entry into the policing profession.

The pre-join route gives you the opportunity to study for a degree and then apply to a force and follow a shorter on-the-job training programme to become a police constable or a special constable. The degree is designed so that you will undertake the learning as set out by the PEQF, attain a BA (Hons) Professional Policing and be equipped with the requisite skills and knowledge to be able to apply to the Police Force to become a police constable.

This exciting new course focuses on the main challenges a 21st century Police Officer faces, such as protecting the vulnerable, digital policing and counter-terrorism measures. It also provides a foundation knowledge into the role of a Police Constable and the five core areas of professional policing practice: Response Policing, Policing Communities, Policing the Roads, Information and Intelligence, and Conducting Investigations. You will also undertake your own research project into your chosen policing practice area in the final year.

Policing is an incredibly rewarding career which gives you the opportunity to work in the community and protect members of the public. From 2020, the recruitment process for Police Constable recruits is changing, with the Pre-join Policing degree being one of the Policing Education Qualification Framework (PEQF) accredited entry routes into the force.

This degree course has been designed to give you both an academic and professional understanding of policing, serving as a comprehensive introduction to the policing industry.

Not only will you have the benefit of learning traditional methods, you'll also get to hear the first-hand experiences and personal perspectives from people in the industry. Each year, several professional guests visit the course. Previous guests have included members from the Independent Police Complaints Commission, a former police sergeant for the West Midlands Police Force and a Mental Health Triage speaker. We also focus on current and future crime trends in addition to historic cases, so that you gain a rounded understanding of the policing industry.