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BSc (Hons) Professional Policing with Integrated Foundation Year

Study current topics such as digital policing and organised crime and terrorism. Help tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. Graduate and go on to apply for a role as a Police Constable in England or Wales.

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Two policing students in high-vis jackets, sitting at a low table conducting an interview
UCAS codeP1P1
Duration4 years
Fee (UK)£5,760
LocationOn campus

Course summary

The BSc (Hons) Professional Policing course design is by expert staff with decades of experience in the police force. It was developed in collaboration with the College of Policing, police forces, and serving officers. The course offers comprehensive training grounded in real-world policing.

Some of the topics you’ll study include:

  • Criminal justice
  • Policing communities
  • Becoming an effective investigator
  • Research methods
  • Vulnerability
  • Digital policing
  • Counterterrorism.

You’ll also have the chance to volunteer on our Local Appropriate Adult Scheme. This provides the opportunity to work as an appropriate adult for individuals in police custody, while gaining an additional professional qualification.

The course aligns with the National Policing Curriculum. It equips you with the skills and knowledge needed to apply for a police constable position when you graduate. You'll need to complete the recruitment process to secure a position at your chosen force, but the course will set you on the path towards achieving your goal. If you decide to join the police, you must apply to and be accepted into a force within five years of graduation.

The course offers three routes. All routes ensure you're ready to meet the responsibilities and challenges of a rewarding career in policing. You can choose between:

  • The traditional three-year course
  • The four-year integrated foundation route
  • The accelerated, two-year fast-track route.
Why Sunderland for Policing and Investigation

Integrated Foundation Year

This course is available with an Integrated Foundation Year, an extra year of your degree. This route offers a supportive way of transitioning into university study. It may be suitable for you if you:

  • Have valuable work or life experience but no formal qualifications
  • Are returning to education after a break
  • Want to change direction or explore a new career path
  • Have just missed the entry requirements for the three-year course.

We’re enhancing our Integrated Foundation Year to give you an even stronger start to your degree. The updated modules will align more with your chosen subject area. This will help you build the knowledge, confidence, and skills you need for your studies. We'll share full details soon and can't wait to tell you more.

Please note, this route isn’t available to international students.

What you'll study

Many of our courses include a range of modules you can choose from. Some options may only be available if you’ve already studied specific modules. If you’re not sure what you need before picking a module, your course leader can help.

Undergraduate module credits should total 120 credits per academic year. If optional modules are available, choose an amount that totals 120 credits.

How you'll learn

The BSc (Hons) Professional Policing course covers the National Police Curriculum in a practical and relevant way. You'll learn the underpinning theories in criminology and the processes of criminal justice. You'll also get specialist tuition from former police officers in the core areas of:

  • Conducting effective investigations
  • Policing communities
  • Policing the roads
  • Information and intelligence
  • Response policing.

For the first two semesters of the course, students on the two-year accelerated route can study alongside students on the three-year route. This offers you the ability to transfer between routes to suit your circumstances.

You'll also benefit from support from your own personal tutor. This is an academic with policing experience who'll provide advice and mentoring throughout the course.

Assessment methods include essays, reports, group work, seminar presentations, and self-evaluation.

Entry requirements

Fees and finance support

UK£5,760

Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. If you're a Home fee-paying student, the fee for your first year of study for 2026/27 will be £9,790. You'll pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.

Check your fee status(opens in new tab).

See all course tuition fees.

Full-time UK/Irish/EU settled/EU pre-settled students may be eligible for financial support. This would cover your fees for the full four years. UK and EU settled students may also be eligible to receive a maintenance loan.

Apply now

UK students

Disclaimer

We want to make sure you have clear and accurate information about our courses. Our website always shows the latest updates. If you’ve applied and you're offered a place, we’ll contact you in writing if anything important changes.

For more information, view our programme specifications. These include course content, learning outcomes, and the skills you'll gain.