Policing and Investigation (Distance Learning), BSc (Hons)

University of Portsmouth, the United Kingdom

Study options for this course

The award	How you will study	Study duration	Course start	Domestic course fees	International course fees
BSc (Hons)	Part-time, Distance	4 years	September	find out	find out

About Policing and Investigation (Distance Learning), BSc (Hons) - at University of Portsmouth

Overview

Explore and analyse areas critical to policing and investigation – such as criminal justice, the legal system and public protection – that you can use to:

qualify for the degree-holder entry programme to the police service in England or Wales
level up from your current role in the police to a senior or specialised role
turn a general interest in policing into academic and professional expertise in policing and criminal investigation

This BSc (Hons) Policing and Investigation degree course is a part-time, distance learning course, which you can study around your other commitments, anywhere that suits you.

If you're planning a career in policing and related areas (such as investigative criminal profiling, police oversight bodies, or financial investigation in banking), you'll develop the practical skills you'll need in your future career.

If you’re already a serving police officer, you'll specialise in areas that could enhance your contribution to your organisation, increasing your potential to level up in a new role and achieve a higher salary.

Course highlights

Transform a passion for the criminal justice system into a rewarding career, with optional modules to suit your ambitions such as cybercrime, forensic psychology, contemporary terrorism and rehabilitation
Have the freedom to choose a final year project topic that suits your career goals – previous students have focused on areas including human trafficking, domestic abuse, terrorism, county lines drug trafficking and the retention of special constables
Be taught by leading academics from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, whose research areas include forensic interviewing and science, economic crime and cybercrime
Have the chance to use on-the-job experience as proof of relevant prior learning to complete the course quicker

Careers and opportunities

Society relies on the police force, and those that study effective policing, to keep communities safe.

This means there will always be a demand for the skills you develop on this course – whether you're just starting out, upskilling in your current role or planning to put your skills and knowledge to use through consultancy, investigation or research.

If you want a career in the police in England or Wales, this degree qualifies you for one of the College of Policing’s entry routes to the police service.

If you're planning to stay with your current force after graduating, you could use this degree course to secure a more senior or specialised role.

But you could also apply the skills and knowledge you develop on this course to any number of roles across multiple industries. As well as equipping you to become a confident police officer, this course opens up a range of other opportunities.

You could join the public sector, working for organisations including:

the Probation Service
the National Crime Agency
Department for Work and Pensions – investigating fraud
HMRC– investigating smuggling

You could join the private sector, working for organisations including:

banks and financial institutions – investigating fraud
insurance companies – investigating false claims
legal firms – assisting in legal cases
loss prevention and private security companies
private investigation firms

You could take on various roles, both within and outside the police force, including:

crime scene investigator
police staff investigator within the Criminal Investigation Department (CID)
intelligence analyst and researcher
private investigator
security analyst

Ongoing career support – up to 5 years after you graduate

Get experience while you study, with support to find part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities, and work experience.

Towards the end of your degree and for up to five years after graduation, you’ll receive one-to-one support from our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy to help you find your perfect role.

Notes about fees for this course

https://www.port.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-fees-and-student-finance

Entry requirements

There are no specific qualification requirements, we will assess your application on its own merits. Applicants without relevant Level 3 qualifications will be required to produce a short written artefact to better assist the course leader as to the suitability of the applicant.

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.

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Policing and Investigation (Distance Learning), BSc (Hons)

Study options for this course

About Policing and Investigation (Distance Learning), BSc (Hons) - at University of Portsmouth

Notes about fees for this course

Entry requirements

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