Policing and Investigation (Distance Learning) BSc (Hons)

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.

Careers in the police

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.

What areas can you work in with a policing and investigation degree outside the police force?

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

What jobs can you do with a policing and investigation degree?

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

After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.