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This pre-join policing degree is an entry route into the police force designed to prepare new recruits to meet the demands of 21st-century policing.
Year of entry
Location
CU Coventry (Coventry)
Study mode
Full-time
Part-time
Sandwich
Duration
4 years part-time
4 years sandwich (study abroad or work placement)
3 year - Degree
2 year - HND
1 year - HNC
Course code
PP10 / PP12 / PP11
Start date
November 2024
January 2025
March 2025
May 2025
June 2025
This vocational degree meets the standards set by the College of Policing’s Policing Education Qualification Framework (PEQF). These are used by police forces across England and Wales as part of the 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 Professional Policing BA (Hons) and be equipped with the requisite skills and knowledge to be able to apply to the Police Force either as a Police Constable or through the direct entry detective pathway.
Any student undertaking the Licensees Degree in Professional Policing should be aware that there is no guarantees of entry to a police force post-completion of the Degree in Professional Policing. The recruitment process for joining police forces is separate and that each police force has its own entry requirements.
This exciting 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 of 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 and allows you to truly make a difference to a community while giving you the opportunity to protect members of the public.
Since 2020, the recruitment process for police constables has been open to those with a pre-join policing degree. This degree provides an academic and professional understanding of policing, serving as a comprehensive introduction to the policing industry which is accredited by the Policing Education Qualification Framework (PEQF)1.
Not only will you have the benefit of learning traditional methods, but you will also get to hear the first-hand experiences and personal perspectives from people in the industry. Each year, several professional guests visit the course2. 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.
This course is licensed by the College of Policing under the Police Education Qualifications Framework for the 2023/24 intake.
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
This course is available as a full-time three-year course. Alternatively, the course can also be studied part-time.
Our teaching methods are varied, offering a number of teaching styles to suit the needs of all our students, so in addition to lectures, we also utilise a blended learning approach, including online aspects, workshops and group work.
We also operate an open-door policy, with additional availability via email and our current online learning platform, Aula.
This course can be offered on a part-time basis. Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary. Request further information about part-time study.
Full-time
If you choose to study full-time you can expect up to 20 hours of learning activities per week, made up of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, online classes and independent learning.
Additionally, you will be expected to undertake self-directed study of approximately 30 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.
Part-time
If you choose to study part-time, you'll usually receive up to 11 hours per week of blended learning, including classes, tutorials and online learning. Outside of this, there will also be independent study and online support.
Additionally, you will be expected to undertake self-directed study of approximately 30 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.
Please note: part-time courses run subject to numbers.
As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.
Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
The learning outcomes of modules, assignments and projects will be clearly stated. Your work will be marked according to how well you achieve these learning outcomes and your final feedback will refer to each outcome, as well as providing an overall percentage grade.
Assessment methods vary and include, practical class and project performance, written practical reports, project thesis, tutorial tasks and assessments.
Course breakdown:
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.
Typical offer for 2024/25 entry.
2024/25 tuition fees
Student | Full-time | Part-time |
---|---|---|
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man | £7,950 per year | Not available |
EU | £7,950 per year with EU Support Bursary** £16,800 per year without EU Support Bursary** |
Not available |
International | £16,800 per year | Not available |
For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our undergraduate finance page and see the University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.
We offer a range of international scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our international scholarships page.
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.
The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:
The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.
Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.
All our facilities are located at Mile Lane. Our building has been designed to enable collaboration, creativity and innovation to flourish, and includes (subject to availability):
Some taught sessions take place in the neighbouring building, Elm Bank, we also utilise the facilities in the Alison Gingell building, such as the community houses and hospital ward for role play/simulation work.
On completion, you should be able to:
After completion of this degree, graduates will be equipped with the requisite skills and knowledge to be able to apply to the police force to become a Police/Detective Constable. Graduates must apply to their chosen police force within 5 years of their graduation date.
After graduating, you will then be able to apply to become a police constable. Completion of the pre-join policing degree does not guarantee recruitment as a trainee police constable, but is one of the three entry routes into the policing profession as of 2020.
It is important to note that for progression into a career in the police force, a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be carried out. Please note that any previous convictions may have an impact on whether you can join the police force.