BSc (Hons) Professional Policing Practice (Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship)

Our three-year ­work-based learning programme will see you earning and learning whilst studying towards a University of Staffordshire degree in Professional Policing Practice. You'll have a student card and have access to all of our University facilities, as well as the support of a virtual community.

The Professional Policing Practice Degree Apprenticeship programme has been designed to ensure that our student officers meet the national standards set by the College of Policing (CoP), the professional body for all those working in the Police Service, and ESFA (Educational Skills Funding Agency) who are the governing body for apprenticeships in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Modules

In year one, you will complete the following modules:

• Introduction to Policing Practice and Professional Development
• Introduction to Response, Roads and Community
• Introduction to Investigation and Intelligence
• Understanding Crime and Crime Prevention
• Independent Patrol Status

In year two, you will complete the following modules:

• Policing Practice and Research Methods
• Information and Investigation
• Response, Roads and Community Policing
• Crime and Society
• Operational Competence

In year three, you will complete the following modules:

• Advanced Response, Roads and Community
• Advanced Investigation and Intelligence
• Advanced Policing Practice
• Evidence Based Research Project

Level 2 qualifications in Maths and English e.g. GCSE (Grade A*-C/ 9-4), Functional Skills
and
Level 3 qualification equal to 64 UCAS points.

Qualifications listed in your application must be evidenced with a certificate.

Calculate your UCAS points at the UCAS website (new window)

What if I don't meet the requirements?

If you don’t have the relevant level 2 or 3 qualifications, you can usually complete these online or at your local college.

We now offer a 10-week Step Up to Policing course for people who don't meet the level 3 entry requirements. 

To find out more about the police recruitment process, including the assessment centre and interviews, entry requirements, or eligibility checks, please visit your chosen force's website.

Delivery

We are committed to supporting you to learn while you earn and have developed a blended learning approach to support this.

During your time as a student officer, the apprenticeship regulations state that 20% of your time will be dedicated to off the job learning. The rest of your time will be spent deployed operationally where you will be putting that learning into practice.

Your learning will be delivered by a combination of University of Staffordshire academics and police colleagues. You won’t need to travel to our Stoke-on-Trent campus for lectures, we’ll deliver academic excellence in locations across the region.

From week one you will be a probationary police officer, receiving your uniform ahead of your induction and attestation. You will undergo a period of in-force training and a University protected learning block to prepare you for your first operational deployment. These depend upon force structure and during initial deployments you will be coached by one of our experienced tutor constables. They will support you to put theory learned during protected learning blocks into practice in an operational setting.

*Module content is the same across all of our forces but there is a slight variation in the order in which they are delivered. You’ll receive a course handbook relevant to your force at your induction.

Assessment

There are a number of elements that make up the assessment for the Degree Apprenticeship Standard, including:

• Degree assessment i.e. formal assessment of the degree modules
• ‘On-programme’ assessment of operational competence
• A work-based project i.e. part of the degree and an important element of the apprenticeship’s ‘end-point assessment’
• A summative ‘end-point assessment’, which includes a review of the work-based project and the evidence produced as part of the ‘on-programme’ assessment of operational competence

Learning support

In addition to the excellent support you will receive from your course teaching team, our central Academic Skills team provides group and one-to-one help to support your learning in a number of areas. These include study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills); written English (including punctuation and grammatical accuracy); academic writing (including how to reference); research skills; critical thinking and understanding arguments; and revision, assessment and examination skills (including time management).

Additional support

Our AccessAbility Services support students with additional needs such as sensory impairment or learning difficulties. You will also have full access to our support services such as Student Guidance.

Feedback

Examination feedback may take a variety of formats. However, as a minimum, generic feedback will be made available to all students who take written examinations.

You will be supported with professional development throughout your career by both your Police Force and the University. A career in policing offers a wealth of opportunities including promotions through the ranks or lateral moves into specialist teams such as Counter-Terrorism, Firearms, and Dog Unit.

You can find out more about policing career pathways on the College of Policing's website.