Course Catalogue

To prepare students who are seeking a career in policing or associated field by providing a coherent programme of study that takes cognisance of the police service requirement for initial training and the developing professionalization agenda within policing. To provide a stimulating on-line learning experience that engages students and encourages them to take responsibility for their own learning by cultivating critical, analytical, problem-solving and reflective skills within a work-based context. To challenge taken for granted notions of policing thereby deepening and broadening understanding of issues faced in the professional field. To link theory, criminal law, policy and professional practice and show how they impact on continuing professional development. To encourage students to develop higher level skills and prepare them for the demands of employment or further study. To provide an opportunity for holders of the FD(A) to further develop their studies to graduate level via sequential progression, by offering flexible study modes and offering a bespoke course of study to potential students that possess the necessary (R)PEL.

A range of learning strategies and a variety of modes of interactive delivery will be utilised throughout the programme including an introductory lecture and a range of on-line activities; e.g. presentation, workbooks, podcasts, wikis, blogs, forums both tutor-led synchronous (which can be recorded) and asynchronous, skype tutorials in addition to utilising suitable OER (open educational resources),such as ‘You Tube’ videos, supported by digital key readings. Acquisition of 1 - 29 are taught through on-line lectures and developed via on-line forums, knowledge checks and appropriate formative tasks designed for on-line learning. Knowledge and understanding is assessed via summative assessment methods suitable for on-line distance-learning, such as formal essays, a full-scale individual report, multi-choice on-line examinations, visual essays, and short videos and assessed forums. A range of periodic formative study skills and knowledge checks will be completed by the students on-line which feedback will be given in order to enable ongoing development via reflective practice and aimed at research and compilation of the summative assessment tasks. Practical skills are developed throughout the programme which embraces student-centred learning techniques appropriate for on-line learning. These skills are assessed across all modules while the variety of assessments across the programme ensures that these skills are assessed in different ways and in a mode suitable for on-line distance-learning. Formative assessment is used to develop knowledge, understanding, skills and personal obligations to ethics and professional values. Students will be asked to complete a number of reflective tasks across the modules that will be designed to enhance critical study skills and develop awareness of the application of professional skills and ethics in the workplace, in addition to the requirement of continuing professional development. Summative assessment is used to assess the student’s success in achieving the learning outcomes.

All students in their first year of study will have an opportunity to engage with the CareerSmart programme as an integral part of a core module of study. Once this has been completed, a wide range of other career-related provision and services will be available to support students’ development throughout their studies. The new CareerSmart e-learning tool will introduce students to the steps involved in making informed choices about their career. It will enable students to consider their strengths and development areas, their career motivators, the options available and the necessary steps to take to achieve their career goals. Distance Learning students enrolled on this programme are likely to have already secured employment within a policing environment. Therefore, the programme has been introduced and designed to enhance their opportunities within their existing job roles by offering learning opportunities in specialist areas such as Counter-Terrorism and Intelligence Studies, the latter recently designated an area of specialism within the Criminal Investigation Department by the College of Policing. Furthermore the College of Policing have recently launched a consultation process in relation to their proposal that by 2019 all entrants to the police service will be educated to graduate level. Therefore, this programme provides the opportunity for serving officers to attain that target, via means of continuing professional development which is a published objective from the College of Policing, in respect of serving police officers and support staff and to be able to compete internally with future job opportunities and roles. However, by offering modules in key specialist areas in addition to those above, such as ‘Policing and Risk, and ‘Multi-Agency’ the programme will provide developmental opportunities for those students employed in both the private and public sectors in relation to policing and security.