BSc (Hons) Professional Policing is aimed at those wishing to apply to join the police service in England and Wales. The degree in Professional Policing will provide challenges and opportunities for an aspiring officer. The course content will make you question your assumptions about policing, the nature of crime, offenders, victims, the criminal justice system and society. The varied assessments will encourage you to develop key skills for critical thinking, academic research, digital and AI literacy, writing, presenting, debating issues, and organising your time. Day-to-day life at university, and the volunteering and work-based opportunities you may take advantage of, will require you to develop the interpersonal, communication and practical skills necessary to apply as a future police officer.

Your time at Canterbury Christ Church University is full of opportunities. For example, in year 2 (Level 5), you will have an opportunity to join CCCU's Cold Case Unit and investigate, under supervision, real life cases that have gone unsolved for years. Staff also organise simulated major events (e.g., terrorism inspired knife/firearms attacks) on or off campus with actors and where students (e.g., police, forensic investigation, paramedics, etc.) learn to work as a team of first responders. Finally, staff put together domestic (e.g., Old Bailey, London) and international (e.g., Belfast, The Netherlands) field trips to offer you a variety of policing perspectives.

The Policing Team, along with central university staff, are here to help and support you in tackling the challenges of student life, academic skills development, career planning and volunteering. The Policing staff, with over 500 years of combined professional practice experience in policing and related fields, and with considerable experience in scientific research, can assist and guide you in your experiential learning. This is an exciting time to study policing and consider a career in the police service. We very much look forward to working with you this coming academic year.

You can keep up to date with what is going on in our Faculty and count down to beginning your studies with us by following us on Instagram.

 

In your first year (Level 4), the course provides you with a broad introduction to the police service and the functions of policing in society, embedding key learning outcomes of the National Policing Curriculum as prescribed by the College of Policing.

The first year introduces the core topics of:

Introduction to Policing;

The Criminal Justice System and How to tell 'what works';

Criminology and Crime Prevention;

The Law and Politics of Policing;

Core Policing 1 (covering the law and procedure of policing);

Crime Science and Problem Solving.

You will also develop key academic and professional skills through working with others, in-class and online learning activities and a variety of assessment types (essays, exams, presentations, group work, simulations, and role plays). You will have the support of Peer Mentors and a dedicated Personal Academic Tutor.

There are no specific tasks required or expected of you before you join us. However, generally speaking, monitoring what is going on in the world of policing would be to your advantage. You can do so by paying attention to current affairs and news sources. You are encouraged to look at the College of Policing website, National Police Chiefs' Council webpages and the Final Report of the Strategic Review of Policing for further information. These will get you further acquainted with your chosen degree course, although this is advisory and not a compulsory pre-requisite.

Your welcome and induction will be w/c 16 September 2024 - we look forward to meeting you then.

 

Community

On the social side, the Student Union (CCSU) has a huge range of clubs and societies – all of which have unique social calendars of their own and offer endless opportunities to make lifelong friends and discover new hobbies. And you can always create your own society and cultivate your own community!

CCSU will be hosting their Welcome Fayre on Wednesday 18th September 2024. Make sure you keep checking the CCSU website for further details and how to get involved.

We understand that you may be nervous about your first few weeks on campus but rest assured - you'll be joining a nurturing and supportive environment where diversity, equality and individuality are part of everything we do.

You can find out more about our welcoming community and making friends.

If you are an International Student joining us then please see our International Student Support pages for further information and guidance.

 

Do not worry about buying any books before starting your studies. We are usually able to offer a discounted ‘Policing Book Bundle’ deal through the University Bookshop on campus, which provides you with all the core textbooks, below the recommended retail price. However, if you do want to get started on some basic reading to get a head start, the following books are recommended:

• Rowe, M. (2018) Introduction to Policing. 3rd Edition. London: Sage.
• Blackstone's Handbook for Policing Students (2024). 18th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Some useful links:

• College of Policing
• Police Oracle
• National Police Chiefs' Council - Policing Vision 2025
• Strategic Review of Policing (policingreview.org.uk)