Course summary

Are you interested in a career in the police or as a civilian or corporate investigator? Do you want to develop the skills needed to carry out investigations within law enforcement organisations or businesses to help solve and prevent crime, fraud and corruption? Our Policing and Investigation degree brings together the theory, policy and practice of policing and investigations, criminology, forensics and criminal justice. On this course, you’ll study criminal and corporate investigation and the investigative process. You’ll gain a solid foundation in policing and the wider Criminal Justice System and the contemporary challenges facing police officers, criminal investigators and civilian investigators. Academics who have held senior-level positions in policing organisations will share their experience with you as you explore interviewing, victimology and forensic psychology and their application across all areas of policing and investigation work. Throughout your studies, you’ll consider a range of investigative case studies and explore historical, empirical and theoretical approaches to key issues in evidence gathering and criminal justice. You’ll undertake professional work placements during your degree, so you’ll be able to apply your theoretical knowledge to the real-world and gain invaluable experience relevant to your future career. In your final year, you can choose to study topics that interest you the most, including murder investigations, forensics, domestic abuse or sexual violence. By the time you finish your studies, we aim to have helped you to become a confident, knowledgeable graduate with the investigative mindset needed for a successful career in policing or investigation. Professional work placements You will undertake professional work placements to enhance your learning and support you to develop key employability skills and relevant experience for your chosen career. Your placement could be with a variety of organisations within the statutory and voluntary sector involved with investigations, victim support, miscarriages of justice, addiction services and many others. Graduate opportunities A degree in policing and investigation can prepare you for a career in the police or probation service, but also offers routes to an investigative career within government or other public or private sector organisations. Employment opportunities also exist with the National Crime Agency, government departments such as the Department for Work and Pensions and HMRC (investigating fraud or smuggling); banks and financial institutions; insurance companies; legal firms; loss prevention and private security companies; private investigation firms and fraud and intelligence departments of high-profile retail businesses.