BSc (Hons) Professional Policing
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: Three or Four Years
- Start Date: September 2025
The police constable is the heartbeat of effective policing and this degree will give you all the knowledge required to start a career in this role.
This College of Policing accredited course offers a policing standard, knowledge-based examination of policing challenges and criminal justice processes and will help you to be able to make an informed choice about your future career destination within policing.
This course gives you the theoretical and practical skills you’ll need for a future in law enforcement by covering essential topics including criminology, criminal justice, and evidence-based policing. Additionally, we place a high priority on helping you hone your leadership, ethical awareness, and decision-making skills. This course not only prepares you for operational roles in policing but also equips you with transferable skills for careers in the wider criminal justice system.
You’ll learn from industry experts, including former police officers, who will share valuable insights and real-world knowledge, enhancing your understanding of modern policing. You’ll also have the opportunity to hear from guest lecturers, who in the past have ranged from senior ranking officers to veteran detectives and many more active members of the criminal justice system.
During your studies at BNU you’ll have access to state-of-the-art resources, including simulated crime scenes and digital labs and our Police Code of Practice Suite. This regularly updated facility includes a mock bedsit, custody desk and suspect interview room, as well as adjoining seminar rooms with a live audio and video feed.
BNU has long established connections with local police services, offering you networking opportunities, guest lectures from active professionals, and potential recruitment pathways.
This course is officially licensed by the College of Policing, meaning it adheres to the in the UK. Being accredited ensures that the degree meets the academic requirements for those who wish to become police officers in England and Wales. This provides you with a pathway into a policing career, knowing that your qualification is recognized by police services across the country. Additionally, this accreditation aligns the curriculum with the National Policing Curriculum, focusing on key areas such as ethics, law, leadership, and professional standards, which are essential for modern policing.
What facilities can I use?
You’ll get to hone your professional skills in our Police Code of Practice Suite. This regularly updated facility includes a mock bedsit, custody desk and suspect interview room, as well as adjoining seminar rooms with a live audio and video feed.
You’ll observe and understand theory by practising core policing processes such as arrest and interview of suspects, and searching premises, in a safe, controlled environment. Our library is the perfect place to find the resources you need and a quiet place to study, filled with four floors of books, journals, computer suites and study rooms. Or, if you’d rather work off campus, e-Journals and resources are only a few clicks away using our Virtual Learning Environment.
What will I study?
You’ll study a range of subjects designed to provide both theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed for modern policing. The course follows the National Policing Curriculum and covers key areas like criminology and criminal justice, where you'll explore the causes and consequences of crime, as well as the workings of the criminal justice system and its interaction with policing.
You'll also focus on police powers and procedures, gaining a solid understanding of the legal framework surrounding activities like arrest, search, and detention. This makes sure you know the laws governing police work. Evidence-based policing is another important component, where you'll learn how to use research and data to inform policing strategies, helping you make informed, effective decisions.
Ethics and human rights are central to the course, teaching you to uphold ethical standards and navigate the complexities of community-oriented policing. You will also study criminal investigation techniques, covering everything from evidence collection to interviewing witnesses and suspects.
The course places a strong emphasis on leadership and professional development, helping you build the skills necessary for supervisory roles and career progression. Additionally, practical learning through simulations, case studies, and work placements is integrated throughout the program, providing you with hands-on experience to apply your knowledge in real-world settings.
How will I be taught and assessed?
You'll be taught through a mix of lectures, seminars, workshops, and hands-on sessions. This blend of teaching methods means you'll get a solid understanding of the theory behind policing, while also gaining practical experience. Lectures will introduce you to key topics, with seminars and workshops giving you the chance to dive deeper into discussions, group work, and case studies.
A big part of the course is practical learning, you'll take part in simulations, role-plays, and use facilities like crime scene investigation rooms and digital forensics labs. These hands-on activities help you put what you learn into practice, helping to prepare you for real-world policing.
When it comes to assessments, you’ll be evaluated through a range of methods, including essays, reports, case studies, presentations, and practical tasks. This variety ensures you’re tested on both your academic understanding and your practical skills.
What are the course entry requirements?
A typical offer will require a UCAS tariff score of: 88 - 112 (Full-time) or 32 - 56 (Foundation Year)
UCAS points can be obtained through qualifications such as A levels, T levels, BTEC or an Access to Higher Education course in a relevant subject. Please list all your qualifications on the application form as you will be asked to provide copies when we receive your application.
A minimum of two full A-levels (or equivalent) is required. Every application is considered on an individual basis.
For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our international pages.
If you do not meet the entry requirements you may, if you have relevant professional experience, still be invited for interview, where you will be required to demonstrate the necessary knowledge and understanding for entry onto the course.
Previous study, professional and / or vocational experiences may be recognised as the equivalent learning experience and permit exemption from studying certain modules in accordance with our accreditation of prior learning (APL) process.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
What are the tuition fees
Home
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Home Foundation Year, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £5,760 *
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Home, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £9,535 *
International
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Overseas/International Foundation Year, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £15,150 *
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Overseas/International, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £15,150 *
Following the Government’s announcement of 4 November 2024, we will be increasing our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for UK students to £9,535 per year from the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Our part-time fees for UK undergraduate students will increase to £7,145 per annum. Please visit , on the Government’s website, for more information about the changes.
Tuition fees for Home undergraduate students (including with foundation year) may increase in subsequent years for both new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the Government.  
Tuition fees for both new and continuing international students may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year.  
Tuition fees for postgraduate courses and CPD may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year. This increase will apply to both new and continuing students.  
We understand, and really appreciate, the significant financial commitment our students make when they choose to study at BNU. We take our responsibilities to our students very seriously, and are ambitious for each to reach their full potential and succeed in their chosen career. Our fees help us to continue providing our students with a high-quality education, and to invest in the services and facilities which create an excellent student experience at BNU.
The following factors will be considered by the University when we set the annual fees: measures of inflation such as the retail price indices; projected increases in University costs; and any changes in the level of funding for teaching received from the Government.
What are my career prospects?
Throughout your time with us we’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. We’ll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising and skilled leaders and support you in your search to find employment after graduation. Have a look at our Careers and Employability pages to find out more.
Following completion of this professional policing degree, most candidates will look to join a police force as a probationary police constable. To do this, you must:
- apply within five years of your graduation date
- meet all of the recruitment criteria for the particular force.
Once you have successfully joined a force as a probationer, you will need to:
- undertake further practice-based learning and assessment in your force
- demonstrate competence in the police constable role
- complete the two-year probationary period, in line with police regulations.
Other graduates may choose to pursue other policing roles or apply their transferable skills to other professions and workplaces. The opportunities are numerous and include (but are not limited to):
- private security
- risk management
- event organisation
- probation
- local government
- civil service
- Home Office.
Course leader
