Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Criminal Investigation and Policing Studies

Entry requirements


112 UCAS points from at least 2 A-levels

Access to HE Diploma

M:30

Pass in QAA accredited Access to HE overall 112 UCAS tariff with at least 30 Level 3 credits at Merit.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

5 GCSEs at grade C/4 or above including Maths and English

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

112 UCAS points from at least 2 Scottish Highers

T Level

M

UCAS Tariff

112

112 UCAS points from at least 2 A-levels

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Criminal justice

Social policy

Security policy

Our Criminal Investigation and Policing Studies course teaches the skills required for ethical professional practice. It is the ideal choice if you are interested in studying policing and criminal investigation but do not necessarily wish to pursue a career in the police service.

The level and depth of knowledge and understanding taught, develops a high level of critical thinking, decision-making and problem-solving, but also the necessary skills required for a criminal investigator in the criminal justice or private sector.

Taught by policing and criminology academics with significant practical experience of criminal justice practice, the modules are diverse and specifically tailored to the needs of a criminal investigation career.

In Year one 3 modules will be shared with criminology students which will provide a different perspective on policing focusing more on the causation of crime.

Year two is where you begin to specialise in your chosen field with a module dedicated to the leadership and management of criminal investigation. This module carries through to year three and becomes more intense and specialised. You also have the option of choosing two 15 credit elective modules in year two which will again be shared with criminology students.

**Key features**

- This programme is taught by experienced practice-based policing and criminology academics and researchers, who will help broaden your understanding of the sector while keeping you up to date with contemporary issues and debates.

- You will study a range of modules including Introduction to Criminology, The Profession of Policing, Leadership and Management of Contemporary Issues in Policing, Investigative Management and Leadership, and Multi-Agency Working.

- Take advantage of placement opportunities with a local investigatory agency offered through our DMU Works careers programme, which will help enhance your employability through offering real-world experience alongside your studies.

- Previous graduates have landed roles at local authority Trading Standards, the Leicestershire Police investigations teams and the Independent Police Complaints Authority, National Crime Agency and within fraud and intelligence departments of high profile retail businesses.

- Gain international experience and apply your knowledge to a global context through our DMU Global programme. Previously, our Criminal investigation and Policing students have had the opportunity to visit destinations such as New York, where they were taught about the differences and similarities between the policing system in the US and the UK.

- Benefit from Education 2030, where a simplified ‘block learning’ timetable means you will study one subject at a time and have more time to engage with your learning, receive faster feedback and enjoy a better study-life balance.

Modules

**First Year**
Block 1: Profession of Policing and Investigation
Block 2: Journey Through Justice
Block 3: Studying at University
Block 4: Principles of Social Research

**Second Year**
Block 1: Investigative Management and Leadership (I)
Block 2: Leadership & Management of Contemporary Issues in Policing and Investigation (I)
Block 3: Research and Ethics (15 credits)
Block 4: Researching Justice Journey (30 credits)
OPTION: 1 x 15 credit elective module

**Third Year**
Block 1: Dissertation (10,000-word research project)
Block 2: Leadership & Management of Contemporary Issues in Policing and Investigation (II)
Block 3: Investigative Management & Leadership (II)
Block 4: Multi-Agency Working International Perspectives

Assessment methods

We use a variety of teaching methods on the course which include:

*Case studies
*Seminars
*Desk-top exercises
*Workshops
*E-learning
*Specialist guest lectures from practitioners (subject to availability)
*Visits to practitioners in action (subject to availability)

Assessment methods include:

*Essays
*Examinations
*Phase Tests
*Presentations
*Posters
*Case-study critiques
*Desk-top, simulated exercises
*Policy books
*Research Proposal
*Dissertation

All of which will be developed as you progress through the course.

Your precise timetable will depend on your Modules. However, typical teaching time is approximately 9 hours each week for programme specific modules and will be taught by way of block teaching. Criminology modules may differ.

In addition, you will also be expected to achieve approximately 20 hours of self-directed study. You may also be given additional work by Module Leaders to aid your development, particularly with regard to Assessments.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,250
per year
International
£16,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Leicester Campus

Department:

Health and Life Sciences

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

45%
Criminal justice
45%
Social policy
45%
Security policy

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Social policy

Teaching and learning

41%
Staff make the subject interesting
51%
Staff are good at explaining things
53%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
53%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

51%
Library resources
67%
IT resources
59%
Course specific equipment and facilities
29%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
40%
Male students
60%
Female students
68%
2:1 or above
19%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

E
C
D

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Social policy

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

36%
Protective service occupations
8%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
8%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

Just over 1,600 students graduated in social policy in 2015, which makes it one of the smaller social studies subjects. This is a popular subject at Masters level — 750 Masters in social policy were awarded last year - and so a lot of the more sought-after jobs in management and research tend to go to social policy graduates with postgraduate degrees. For those who leave university after their first degree, then jobs in social care (especially community and youth work) and education, the police, marketing and human resources and recruitment are popular — along with local government, although there are fewer of those jobs around than in the past. This degree is a bit less reliant on London for jobs than other similar subjects, so if you'd like to work outside the capital, it might be worth considering - although the jobs still tend to be in big cities.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Social policy

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£19k

£19k

£20k

£20k

£23k

£23k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here