Professional Policing
Professional policing is both an academic discipline and a vocational qualification, preparing you for a career in one of the most demanding and consequential public service professions. Police officers work at the sharp end of society's responses to crime, disorder, vulnerability, and harm, making consequential decisions in complex and often rapidly changing situations, and doing so within a framework of law, ethics, human rights, and professional accountability. The police constable degree apprenticeship and related professional policing degrees represent a new model of police entry and development that combines academic qualification with professional preparation.
At the University of Sunderland this three-year programme will engage you with the theory and practice of policing across its full range. You will study topics including digital policing, organised crime, counter-terrorism, public order, community policing, investigative practice, and the legal and ethical frameworks that govern police powers and accountability. The academic study is designed to develop critical thinkers who understand the complex social, political, and technological context in which modern policing operates, preparing you to engage with the challenges of the role thoughtfully rather than merely procedurally.
On graduation you will be qualified to apply for a position as a Police Constable in England or Wales. The degree is recognised by police services as providing both the academic qualification and the relevant contextual knowledge that new officers need. Policing offers a career with real purpose and variety, with opportunities to develop into specialist roles in areas such as detective work, serious crime, counter-terrorism, cybercrime, roads policing, and community investigation, or into leadership and management as a sergeant, inspector, and beyond.
Postgraduate study in criminology, public management, or security studies is an option for those who wish to develop specialist academic knowledge alongside their professional career.