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Why choose the School of Applied Social Sciences
This one-year, blended-learning course fits around your other commitments, with a weekly online evening session and two in-person Saturday sessions per semester.
Open to professionals with a qualification such as the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP2) or equivalent; or recent experience in an investigative role (the last five years).
Your existing skills, experience and work-based learning is mapped against Policing QAA benchmarking statements.
About the course
This ground-breaking, one-year course is designed to support professionals already working in the field to progress in their career in policing and investigation; change career direction; or undertake further study after retirement. It is delivered by a team of retired police officers who recognise your existing experience and understand the challenges you face. Units are taught mainly online, with full-time or part-time options, helping you fit study around your life and work.
For further information, contact:
Keren Coton at keren.coton@beds.ac.uk
Russell Murden at russell.murden@beds.ac.uk
Facilities and specialist equipment
- Mock-custody suite
- Police interview room
- Scene-of-crime ‘flat’
- Simulation floor that takes you from a mock home to hospital, giving you hands-on experience of a range of scenarios
Industry links
We have robust associations with criminal justice stakeholders, local councils, companies, and voluntary sector and practitioners, which open up opportunities for volunteering and work placements in the community or in practice. We also have strong engagement with Bedfordshire and Thames Valley police forces as well as British Transport Police, offering opportunities for placements within their services.
Your student experience
Your existing skills, experience and work-based learning is mapped against Policing QAA benchmarking statements.
Taught by experienced academics including retired police
officers with expertise in policing across community, front line,
major crime investigations, family liaison and safeguarding.
In addition to the weekly online session and on-campus Saturday sessions, you are given activities and materials to work through in your own time.
Assessments are varied and planned in advance to develop a wide range of skillsets and to promote wider learning.
Units have been designed to let you use and develop your own
practice, an approach that allows you to reflect on your career and
experiences.
with Professional Practice Year
This course has the option to be taken over four years which includes a year placement in industry. Undertaking a year in industry has many benefits. You gain practical experience and build your CV, as well as being a great opportunity to sample a profession and network with potential future employers.
There is no tuition fee for the placement year enabling you to gain an extra year of experience for free.
*Only available to UK/EU students.
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with Foundation Year
A Degree with a Foundation Year gives you guaranteed entry to an Undergraduate course.
Whether you’re returning to learning and require additional help and support to up-skill, or if you didn’t quite meet the grades to pursue an Undergraduate course, our Degrees with Foundation Year provide a fantastic entry route for you to work towards a degree level qualification.
With our guidance and support you’ll get up to speed within one year, and will be ready to seamlessly progress on to undergraduate study at Bedfordshire.
The Foundation Year provides an opportunity to build up your academic writing skills and numeracy, and will also cover a range of subject specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree.
This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will need to successfully complete the Foundation Year to progress on to the first year of your bachelor’s degree.
Why study a degree with a Foundation Year?
- Broad-based yet enough depth to give you credible vocational skills
- Coverage of a variety of areas typically delivered by an expert in this area
- Gain an understanding of a subject before choosing which route you wish to specialise in
- Great introduction to further study, and guaranteed progression on to one of our Undergraduate degrees
The degrees offering a Foundation Year provide excellent preparation for your future studies.
During your Foundation Year you will get the opportunity to talk to tutors about your degree study and future career aspirations, and receive guidance on the most appropriate Undergraduate course to help you achieve this; providing you meet the entry requirements and pass the Foundation Year.
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Course Leader - Jonathan South
I am a retired Police Officer having served with Bedfordshire Police. I was fortunate to have experienced core functions of response, investigative and preventative policing. The last roles I had involved developing intelligence systems within Domestic Abuse and Neighbourhood Policing departments before moving on to a central Intelligence office developing serious crime packages.
Course Leader - Jonathan South
I am a retired Police Officer having served with Bedfordshire Police. I was fortunate to have experienced core functions of response, investigative and preventative policing. The last roles I had involved developing intelligence systems within Domestic Abuse and Neighbourhood Policing departments before moving on to a central Intelligence office developing serious crime packages.
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £9,535 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees. You can also apply for a maintenance loan from the Government to help cover your living costs. See
Excellence Scholarships
Worth £2,500 per year of study over three years when you score a defined number of UCAS tariff points from specified qualifications*
» If you don’t qualify for an Excellence Scholarship but have 120 UCAS tariff points, you have enough points for one of our Achievement Scholarships offering £500 per year of study**
» Other scholarships, bursaries and financial support packages are available
* Points requirements vary depending on type of qualification.
** Threshold is 120 UCAS tariff points across all awarding bodies and qualifications.
International
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2025/26 is £16,900 per year.
There are range of Scholarships available to help support you through your studies with us.
A full list of scholarships can be found here.
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £9,535 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees. You can also apply for a maintenance loan from the Government to help cover your living costs. See
Excellence Scholarships
Worth £2,500 per year of study over three years when you score a defined number of UCAS tariff points from specified qualifications*
» If you don’t qualify for an Excellence Scholarship but have 120 UCAS tariff points, you have enough points for one of our Achievement Scholarships offering £500 per year of study**
» Other scholarships, bursaries and financial support packages are available
* Points requirements vary depending on type of qualification.
** Threshold is 120 UCAS tariff points across all awarding bodies and qualifications.
International
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2025/26 is £16,900 per year.
There are range of Scholarships available to help support you through your studies with us.
A full list of scholarships can be found here.
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