Degree in Professional Policing

Teaching

Teaching is research led; the National Police Curriculum is developed and augmented by staff who have researched and written extensively on many areas of policing, from the history of policing and police leadership, multi-agency partnerships, public order and the hidden aspects of police corruption and deviance. Teaching will relate to real-world examples and ‘lived experiences’, whether in relation to police practice, the behaviour of individuals or the specifics of legislation, policy, procedures and strategies and implementation of such into practice. The teaching team will draw on relevant research, analysis and evaluation, use current literature such as Serious Case Reviews, government and policing reports, world news and social media publications and wider media sources, such as documentaries and podcasts, to consider and introduce alternative views, perspectives and evidence within the examination of policing and the wide, diverse and far-ranging societies and communities it serves. Teaching aims to encourage and support students to take responsibility for their own learning, to become increasingly independent and autonomous in their academic and professional development. This approach further seeks to foster an understanding and adoption of a lifelong approach to learning, firmly embedded in professional practice. Teaching is fundamental in attaining this realisation through the

integration of reflective practice throughout the programme across academic years. Theoretical modules provide the underpinning knowledge and intellectual skills as a foundation for both evidence-based practice and academic development. Students on the PPD will not be taught in isolated ‘policing only’ lectures; they will join inter-disciplinary modules (Law, Criminology and Sociology) throughout their degree studies so as to benefit from peer learning and differing perspectives to policing issues in order to further advance evidence based practice within their policing studies. This link with other academic disciplines, student bodies and Criminal Justice communities within a safe, learning environment is designed to encourage multi-agency working, broader thinking and enhance understanding of the wide reach of policing issues and strategies. This methodology is also designed to enhance communication skills between disciplines and encourage involvement of broader concepts in the design of evidence-based policing initiatives and research areas. Policing is not an isolated service in today’s modern society and therefore, those studying Professional Policing will also not be isolated from associated communities within the University student body.

Teaching adopts a blended, approach combining face to face, on campus learning with synchronous and asynchronous teaching sessions to creates a stimulating, flexible and exciting learning experience for students. Formal lectures and seminars are complemented by a ‘flipped classroom’ approach, a blended learning strategy that reverses traditional learning. It is an active learning approach that requires students to complete a range of pre-reading of key information provided via the VLE, prior to attending lectures, which then forms the basis of in-class discussion, activities, and projects.

Simulation opportunities provide a teaching methodology to bridge theory and practice and are designed to enable students to understand and interpret the application of theory in a safe practice environment. Simulation allows students to discover ways in which the theory helps them to tackle real world policing situations, engage in professional and ethical practice and to develop practical skills in a safe and supportive environment. In these simulations, students broaden their learning and experience, being able to take risks, make mistakes, evaluate alternative policing approaches, and hone skills in a safe learning environment. It also allows students to address their learning needs which cannot be assured in the opportunistic learning environment provided in the role of a front-line police officer. Simulation will be undertaken in environments as close to reality as possible, utilising wider University Schools and facilities including the Medical Training Facilities, where students will take part in an inter-disciplinary simulation involving nursing students, in tackling confrontational patients, mental health patients and uncooperative, intoxicated patients where human volunteers, experienced actors and mannequins will simulate patients. This approach allows students to engage in experiential learning closely aligned to their levels of knowledge and experience as well as preparing them for future multi-agency and interdisciplinary police incidents with competing priorities posing ethical dilemmas. Simulation will enhance student competence and confidence; it also promotes and develops the sense of professionalism.

In addition, meetings with Personal Academic Tutors are scheduled on at least four occasions in the first year and three occasions in each of the other years of a course. Students are also able to access tutorials with the module team and final year dissertation supervision. The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip them for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement. A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support from Student Services and Library Services, and the Personal Academic Tutoring system enables students to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will help them to flourish and be successful.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to assess knowledge, understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments and individual assessment tutorials with Module Tutors. Each module has one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessment which is graded and counts towards the overall module grade. The assessment schedule is balanced so as not to ‘overload’ the student with submission deadlines and summative assessments designed in relation to course and module learning outcomes (constructive alignment). Module learning outcomes will be assessed in isolation within summative assessments; assessments are not designed to continually require a student to achieve learning outcomes more than once in more than one assessment. This is to add clarity and comprehension to assessment briefs for the benefit of the learners and their clear development and progression routes; throughout the programme and modules themselves within Semesters.  

Assessments take many forms and include reflective writing, the development of policy briefs, applied case studies, audio-visual presentations, or the use of digital software. Some of the assessment items within the PPD have been designed to reflect the professional requirements of report and document writing within policing. The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary according to the mandatory modules taken, but a typical summative assessment pattern for each level is as follows:    

Level 4:  

• 1 x case study
• 1 x report    
• 1 x opinion piece  
• 2 x joint presentation
• 1 x essay   
• 1 x exam (multiple choice questions)  
• 1 x Crime Reduction Policing Plan    

Level 5:

• 1 x essay
• 2 x report  
• 1 x research proposal  
• 2 x observations  
• 1 x case file presentation (in pairs)  
• 1 x exam (multiple choice questions)      

Level 6:

• 1 x dissertation  
• 2 x essay
• 1 x Risk Management Plan  
• 1 x interactive model  
• 1 x investigative strategy and reflective piece    
• 1 x presentation 

Contact time

In a typical week students will have around 12-15 contact hours of teaching. The precise contact hours will depend on taught modules and in the final year there is normally slightly less contact time in order to do more independent study.

Typically, class contact time will be structured around some of the following activities:

• 3 hours of lectures and/or seminars
• 6 hours of interactive workshops/ simulations
• 2-4 hours of group activities
• 1-2 hours of other activities (observations, online activities)

Independent self study

In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake up to 24 hours of personal self-study per week. Typically, this will involve researching, reading, planning and designing projects, completing formative and summative assignments, working with other students in group activities and meeting with your PAT or Supervisor, Academic Writer in Residence or Academic Librarian.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources including the dedicated Professional Policing resources; which includes a University subscription to ‘Policing Insight’; an online virtual resource offering learning and research resources and access to ‘The Policing Student’, an online resource supporting students embarking on Professional Policing studies.

Duration

• 3 years full-time
• Up to 5 years part-time

Timetables

Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that whilst we try to be as student friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week and some classes can be scheduled in the evenings.

Teaching staff

Students will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course and students will meet several current and former police practitioners throughout the programme. Teaching staff have significant policing and police leadership experience in key specialisms such as investigation, domestic violence and abuse, child protection, major incidents, covert policing, risk management and response policing. Staff have prior experience of policing within the University’s local community and are therefore able to utilise existing working relationships and partnership arrangements/ contacts within the delivery of the programme modules. Teaching staff also have prior experience of training operational police officers and staff and delivery and/or contribution to the development of College of Policing licenced programmes. All teaching staff are dual professionals, in that they hold relevant teaching qualifications; 50% of staff hold or are working towards a Level 7 teaching qualification and are Associate Fellows/ Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. This dual professionalism in teaching staff provides students with unparalleled access to real-life examples of theoretical content to aid and enhance their learning experience. You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles

Feedback

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback on examination performance is available upon request from the module leader. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate

We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.

Programme Specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.

Further employability information

Please note, the BA (Hons) Degree in Professional Policing does not guarantee entry into employment as a police constable or any police staff position. It is tailored towards developing the skills, knowledge, understanding, experience and personal confidence students will need to apply for any of the posts offered by a police service. It will also prepare students for other roles in the increasingly pluralised environment of policing in the UK.

Each police force in England and Wales has its own recruitment process, selection policy and entry requirements and students who wish to apply to a police force should check their eligibility against the respective force’s own recruitment website. Police recruitment is managed by individual constabularies and involves rigorous background checks and recruitment processes that are separate to the University of Worcester’s admission policy and procedures. The University of Worcester has no influence over these external procedures and whilst admission onto this programme of study will enhance a student’s policing career prospects and provide them with the necessary licenced qualification it cannot guarantee students with a career in policing.

Employability skills associated with this programme include, but are not limited to, academic study and research skills, subject specific knowledge, collaboration and partnership working, professional standards and ethical practice, respect for others, creativity, innovation, problem-solving, decision-making, risk identification and management, effective communication skills, emotional intelligence and reflective practice.

Professional development of employability skills is integrated throughout the programme, module design and assessment strategy to build a spiral curriculum, enhancing knowledge, understanding, competencies and attributes as you progress through Levels 4-6. Assessment includes a focus on enabling learners to use reflective practice and approaches to continuous professional development, to inform solutions for self-improvement and self-development. The programme will provide graduates with a set of intellectual, social and practical skills, as well as knowledge that employers will find attractive.

Upon achievement of the BA (Hons) Degree in Professional Policing award, the award has a currency of 5 years for students wishing to apply to join a police service via the ‘Pre-Join Degree’ pathway.