Awards

Target Award

Award Description:Master of Science - MS
Alternative Exit

Programme Offerings

Full-Time

F2F-SEP
F2F-SEP

Educational Aims of the Course

The overall aim of the programme is to explore the current and future strategic challenges facing PALE leaders and further develop leadership styles that emphasise clarity of thinking, flexibility of approach and adaptability in addressing the often competing demands of our diverse communities. Leadership within PALE organisations is coming under closer scrutiny and there is increasing pressure for leaders to adopt an ethical approach to leadership that is capable of not only negotiating a personal style that delivers performance improvement but also to work within a newly created governance system that, some would argue, brings political alignment closer to policing delivery. The programme therefore helps participants develop approaches to PALE leadership that: further develops their clarity of purpose; helps them negotiate leadership space within a crowded structure of governance; further develop their ability to lead with political awareness; and finally, develop a self-confidence to professionally articulate their policing mandate The specific aims are to: 1. Develop students who have a high level of self-awareness through ongoing engagement in reflective practice, including ethical considerations and issues around accountability and governance. 2. Help to prepare students, many of whom are likely to be practitioners, to operate as a leader in complex and constantly changing PALE environments, including understanding the impact of politics. 3. Develop students who are able to demonstrate clarity of thought, initiative and decisiveness whilst embracing personal responsibility and self-direction in their decision-making. 4. Assist students to understand the broad range of approaches to strategic leadership within PALE agencies, and those styles most likely to produce robust and valued outcomes in different situations. 5. Help to prepare students to apply judgements to complex and changing issues within PALE environments that recognise the broad diversity of approaches and wide range of views within the sector. 6. Develop students to broaden their knowledge of the main contexts of PALE agencies at local, regional, national and international levels. 7. Assist students to understand the contribution of work-based research and evidence informed policy and practice to strategic leadership in PALE environments, including the value of learning from other sectors. 8. Assist students to understand the role of strategic leaders in engaging with Press and Media, including social media, to inform, explain and educate various audiences, as well as accounting for the activities of PALE agencies.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Teaching will be via highly participative workshops where knowledge will be exchanged via staff lectures and interactive workshops, participant inputs and group sessions. Guest speakers will also be invited to the programme. Emphasis will be placed on a participant’s ability to demonstrate independent thinking as well as connecting policing theory to strategic and operational practice. Tutorials, workshops and private enquiry are utilised. Relevant case study materials will also be used to enhance learning opportunities with emphasis being placed on the participant’s ability to think-through the complexities of PALE leadership and articulate appropriate leadership solutions that evidence critical thinking abilities. There will be a flexibility in approach to assessment with coursework, individual and group work contributions, and written contributions via essays and class work, all being evaluated against understanding of the stated learning outcomes. The Programme will be delivered using blended teaching methods. These will include seminars, lectures, workshops, simulation and the university virtual learning platform (Canvas). A participant’s intellectual skills will be assessed across all the modules through course work consisting of essays, reflective submissions, portfolios, literature reviews and research topic dissertation. Formative assessment of practical skills will be undertaken through role play exercises.

Opportunities for work related learning

Opportunities to develop work-related learning come through the featuring of guest lecturer inputs from PALE leadership professionals throughout the programme. Students are encouraged to engage in reflective practice and consider their studies in the context of their own working environment. It is expected that research projects and the focus of dissertation topics will be directly related to the PALE environment and will therefore require direct contact between the participants on the programme and various PALE organisations. In particular, research around topics that are directly relevant to the student’s own organisation will be carefully considered. Opportunities for students to gain practical law enforcement experience during their studies could be facilitated. These could include short placements in a number of agencies. Similarly, there may be opportunities to send students to study abroad for short periods of time in academic institutions abroad, as part of the university’s Go Global programme. Any opportunities will be discussed with interested students as and when they are available.

Programme Structure

Programme Structure Description

Students will study all of the core modules and two option modules. The choice of optional modules will be informed by which they consider to be the most relevant to their professional interests and development needs. Part time students will complete all of the core modules (except for the Dissertation) … For more content click the Read More button below.

Entry Requirements

Alternative qualifications considered
Other international requirements

HECoS Code(s)

(CAH15-01) sociology, social policy and anthropology