BSc (Hons) Professional Policing Practice

​An initial face-to-face period at University will be supplemented by access to police training facilities at Mather Avenue in Liverpool and Lea Green in St Helens. Academic staff will be supported by competent police practitioners, while learning will be classroom-based with scenario and role-play work. You will receive training on typical equipment utilised by police officers, as well as health and safety, police IT and systems. Many of our Policing Studies students receive specialist training and experiential events, such as the

​Further learning blocks across the rest of the programme will be supported by workplace education and practice. A reflective Occupational Competence Portfolio (OCP) will be compiled by the apprentices alongside the academic programme. Occupational competence will be a cornerstone, alongside intellectual ability. At the end of the programme, successfully completing the EPA will result in permanent appointment.

Teaching and learning

Your lecturers are academics or former practitioners who have become academic practitioners upon leaving their respective services.

The LCAPS teaching team includes three former Chief Constables, Detective Inspectors, criminal investigators, criminologists and criminal justice specialists who will provide you with the very latest learning, insights and expertise across a wide cross-section of policing and law enforcement matters.

As an LCAPS student, you will have access to a wide range of learning events, including Masterclasses with key law enforcement experts and annual chief constable lectures.

Your lecturers

You will be taught by a range of academics and ‘practitioner’ academics across the LCAPS team, each of whom have varied research interests and specialisms.

​Members of the team are involved in research into aspects of Criminal Justice, such as offender management and maritime security, with published work in these and other areas.

Current research includes: guns and gangs; scrambler bikes and ASB; gender and policing; policing and mental health; terrorism; major crime; people trafficking and modern slavery.

Within the PCDA programme, students will undertake research projects as part of their studies. The variety of research interests is such that supervision will be undertaken by individuals with knowledge of many areas of criminal justice and the wider policing sector.

Assessment and feedback

Academic assessment will be undertaken to the University's rigorous standards.

​Generally you will be assessed using written assignments, presentations and exams.

The majority of the assessment of professional skills will be carried out in the workplace with the compilation of an Occupational Competence portfolio (OCP). This will be supported by workplace mentors and assessors as well as LJMU staff. In addition there will be a requirement for self-reflection and at least one assessment in level 5 and 6 will include reflection reports.

​These together with the OCP will be subject of the End-Point Assessment. Each level will have a pass/fail element within one module. This is to ensure incorporation of the OCP during the whole learning phase, both in University and in the workplace. Degree Apprentices must prove their academic ability in the workplace to move though the programme.

On completion of the three-year Degree Apprenticeship programme, the participants will undertake an End-Point Assessment. Completion of the EPA will lead to permanent employment as a police officer with the particular police force. 

Careers, Employability and Enterprise Service

We are committed to ensuring all of our students experience a transformation in their employability skills and mindset and their career trajectory. A wide range of opportunities and support is available to you, within and beyond your course.

Every undergraduate curriculum includes Future Focus, an e-learning resource and workshop designed to help you to develop personal insight into your talents, passion and purpose. It will enable you to become more proactive, adaptable and resilient in your awareness and approach to career possibilities. You’ll be encouraged to engage with personal and professional development opportunities.

A suite of learning experiences, services and opportunities is available to final year students to help ensure you leave with a great onward plan and the means to make it a reality.

Our Centre for Entrepreneurship can help you to grow your enterprise skills and to research, plan and start your own business. You also have access to Careers Zone 24/7, LJMU’s state-of-the-art suite of online tools and resources; opportunities for flexible, paid and part-time work through Unitemps, themed webinars; an annual programme of employer events; funded extracurricular internships and one-to-one advice to accelerate your job search, CV and interview technique.

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