Course overview

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.

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.

Why you should study this course

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.

Accreditation and professional recognition

How you'll learn

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.

Teaching contact hours

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.

Assessment

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:

• Coursework
• Interactive assessments.

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.