Professional Policing

Overview

The Professional Policing programme at University College London (UCL) will provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a career in policing and contribute effectively to the criminal justice system. Through a mix of lectures, seminars, work placement and projects, students will gain a thorough understanding of the theory, science and practice of policing.

Degree benefits

• UCL Security & Crime Science is the first university department in the world devoted specifically to reducing crime and other risks to personal and national security, and houses the Institute for Global City Policing, which aims to foster cutting edge research on policing in a globalised world.
• You will be provided with the latest knowledge, technical and human skills needed to pursue a successful career in policing and related law enforcement professions. 
• You will learn the philosophical and theoretical justifications for adopting an evidenced based and scientific approach to professional policing practice, and explore applications to a wide range of crime and security problems.
• You will be taught by academic experts in security and crime reduction, with input from practitioners and policymakers to provide a focus on real-world relevance and impact. 

Careers

You will gain the necessary insight and skills, both intellectual and practical, to take up a wide range of crime and security-relevant positions throughout the world. The multidisciplinary approach gives you a competitive edge in the job market through your ability to work across disciplines in the service of crime reduction. However, please note, there are no guarantees of entry to a police force post completion. 

We anticipate that the majority of graduates will enter the policing profession. Please note that every police force has its own recruitment, selection and eligibility requirements and you will need to successfully pass these stages.