Professional Policing with Foundation Year

The police constable is the heartbeat of effective policing and this degree will give you all the knowledge required to start a career in this role.

This College of Policing accredited course offers a policing standard, knowledge-based examination of policing challenges and criminal justice processes and will help you to be able to make an informed choice about your future career destination within policing.

Why Study Policing at BNU

Career-focused Curriculum

• This course gives you the theoretical and practical skills you’ll need for a future in law enforcement by covering essential topics including criminology, criminal justice, and evidence-based policing. Additionally, we place a high priority on helping you hone your leadership, ethical awareness, and decision-making skills. This course not only prepares you for operational roles in policing but also equips you with transferable skills for careers in the wider criminal justice system.

Specialist Facilities

• This course gives you the theoretical and practical skills you’ll need for a future in law enforcement by covering essential topics including criminology, criminal justice, and evidence-based policing. Additionally, we place a high priority on helping you hone your leadership, ethical awareness, and decision-making skills. This course not only prepares you for operational roles in policing but also equips you with transferable skills for careers in the wider criminal justice system.

Strong Links with Local Policing Authorities:

• BNU has long established connections with local police services, offering you networking opportunities, guest lectures from active professionals, and potential recruitment pathways.

Accredited by the College of Policing:

• This course is officially licensed by the College of Policing, meaning it adheres to the national standards set for police education in the UK. Being accredited ensures that the degree meets the academic requirements for those who wish to become police officers in England and Wales. This provides you with a pathway into a policing career, knowing that your qualification is recognized by police services across the country.

What will I study?
In the Foundation Year of this four-year course, you’ll build essential academic study skills. This year will help you gain confidence in your abilities. You’ll also identify your strengths and areas for development. Together, these will prepare you for progression to the undergraduate degree.

You’ll study a range of subjects designed to provide both theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed for modern policing. The course follows the National Policing Curriculum and covers key areas like criminology and criminal justice, where you'll explore the causes and consequences of crime, as well as the workings of the criminal justice system and its interaction with policing.

You'll also focus on police powers and procedures, gaining a solid understanding of the legal framework surrounding activities like arrest, search, and detention. This makes sure you know the laws governing police work. Evidence-based policing is another important component, where you'll learn how to use research and data to inform policing strategies, helping you make informed, effective decisions.

Ethics and human rights are central to the course, teaching you to uphold ethical standards and navigate the complexities of community-oriented policing. You will also study criminal investigation techniques, covering everything from evidence collection to interviewing witnesses and suspects.

The course places a strong emphasis on leadership and professional development, helping you build the skills necessary for supervisory roles and career progression. Additionally, practical learning through simulations, case studies, and work placements is integrated throughout the program, providing you with hands-on experience to apply your knowledge in real-world settings.

Foundation year
Ways of Learning about the Social World
Preparing for Success Knowledge and Creativity
Preparing for Success Self-development and Responsibility
Inquiry Based Learning

Year one
Core Modules
Introduction to Professional Policing
Criminal Justice Legislation
Professional Policing Standards
Pluralised Policing
Policing Processes
Policing Concepts

Year two
Core Modules
Professional Standards and Community Policing
Public Protection
Operational Decisions, Risk & Crime
Operational Policing Priorities, Performance and Delivery
Evidence Based Policing
Evidence Based Policing Research Methods

Year one
Core Modules
Conducting ethical criminal investigations – best practice
Conducting ethical criminal investigations - professionalisation
Operational policing challenges
The strategic context of policing & complex challenge
Evidence-based policing research project – preparation and implementation

Modules are delivered through a blended learning approach comprised of:

lectures
seminars
simulated role play type scenarios carried out in our Police Code of Practice Suite
research-based activities
classroom-based discussion
individual tutorials
workshops.
Formative assessment is a key feature of the programme, enabling early feedback to be given on progress and to help students improve their performance. Formative exercises may be conducted as a group or individually and may include poster presentations and simulated tasks within our Police Code of Practice Suite.

Academic achievement will normally be demonstrated through completion of pieces of coursework such as essays, reports, presentations, portfolios and projects, or by sitting formal examinations and time-constrained assessments.

The University also has a dedicated academic skills centre, Student Learning and Achievement, which can provide additional support in areas such as presentations skills, time-management, academic reading, referencing or academic writing, research for essay preparation and how to prepare effectively for examinations in addition to being assigned a personal tutor from the academic team.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• College of Policing