A crime scene with crime scene investigation tape.

Year of study

2025

Key details

Start date(s)
September 2025
Location
Leeds City Campus
School
Criminology, Investigation and Policing
UCAS tariff points
48
Study Mode
Full-time (4 years)
Study abroad
Yes

Are you interested in a career in the police or as a civilian or corporate investigator?

Do you want to develop the skills needed to carry out investigations within law enforcement organisations or businesses to help solve and prevent crime, fraud and corruption?

Our Policing and Investigation degree brings together the theory, policy and practice of policing and investigations, criminology, forensics and criminal justice.

This four-year course includes an initial full-time Foundation Year and offers an alternative route into university and gaining a degree.

This route is for you if you do not have the necessary qualifications or don’t yet feel ready to begin degree-level study, or are returning to education and would like some support to get up to speed with learning in a university setting.

The Foundation Year in Criminology, Policing and Sociology will allow you to develop your academic skills and confidence as well as introduce you to key concepts, debates and skills that will support and inform your subsequent years of undergraduate study.

Following successful completion of your Foundation Year, you’ll progress onto Year 1 of our Policing and Investigation BA (Hons) degree.

The Student Contract

About this course

During your Foundation Year, you will undertake modules to enable you to enhance your academic skills and equip you with the tools you’ll need to study with confidence. You’ll carry out a personal project so you can study an area of interest related to your chosen future subject specialisation.

You'll be introduced to key concepts and theories in criminology, policing and sociology including patterns of crime, issues in modern-day policing and social inequalities. You'll also examine how policymakers are responding to key societal problems and apply sociological and criminological theories to social problems, such as criminality and inequality.  

Following successful completion of the Foundation Year, you’ll progress onto the first year of our Policing and Investigation BA (Hons) degree.

On this course, you’ll study criminal and corporate investigation and the investigative process. You’ll gain a solid foundation in policing and the wider Criminal Justice System and the contemporary challenges facing police officers, criminal investigators and civilian investigators.

Academics who have held senior-level positions in policing organisations will share their experience with you as you explore interviewing, victimology and forensic psychology and their application across all areas of policing and investigation work. 

Throughout your studies, you’ll consider a range of investigative case studies and explore historical, empirical and theoretical approaches to key issues in evidence gathering and criminal justice.

You’ll undertake professional work placements during your degree, so you’ll be able to apply your theoretical knowledge to the real-world and gain invaluable experience relevant to your future career.

In your final year, you can choose to study topics that interest you the most, including murder investigations, forensics, domestic abuse or sexual violence.

By the time you finish your studies, we aim to have helped you to become a confident, knowledgeable graduate with the investigative mindset needed for a successful career in policing or investigation.

Why study with us?

  • Build your self-confidence, academic skills and core subject knowledge in preparation for progression onto degree-level study.
  • Develop the critical thinking and decision-making skills needed for criminal and corporate investigations.
  • Learn from academics with extensive, senior-level policing and investigations experience.
  • Graduate with professional work experience and a network of contacts, thanks to the placements included with your degree.
  • Prepare for a career in police and investigation work within the police service or with public and private employers in law enforcement, investigations or other professional services. 

Course Modules

You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Foundation Year

During your Foundation Year, you'll study four core modules.

Academic Skills and Studying with Confidence - Core

We'll help you develop core academic skills such as using electronic resources, planning and note-taking, communication skills related to essay and report writing and delivering presentations.

You'll learn to manage your time, prioritise tasks and manage stress, and become more confident in engaging with collaborative learning, debates, discussions and critical reflection.

Professional Development and Project - Core

In the first semester you'll get support through personal tutoring and learning hub liaison.

You'll study areas of interest related to your chosen degree specialisation so subject content will be tailored to you.

You'll have workshop-based tuition covering assessments and projects.

You'll focus on existing academic literature and secondary sources in your project, and you can negotiate what format you present your work in.

Foundations in Sociology and Policing - Core

You'll look at social inequalities in society, how they can be explained, and current trends and issues in modern-day policing.

You'll draw on the work of sociologists, academics and criminologists to investigate these issues.

We'll cover concepts such as socialisation, norms and values, social control, status, inequality, crime, deviance, victimisation, retribution and non-crime-related social trends.

We'll try to address social problems, including inequality and criminality, and explore topical areas related to sociology, policing and crime.

Foundations in Criminology - Core

You'll look at patterns of crime, social control, deviance, victimisation, the media and punishments.

We'll examine crime statistics, self-report studies and non-crime-related social trends.

You'll try to make sense of these areas using introductory-level theories from key academics and criminologists.

You'll also review how policy-makers attempt to address social problems such as criminality.

Year 1

During your first year, you'll study four core modules.

Policing Overview - Core

You'll look at the purpose of the police service and the responsibilities of those charged with delivering a professional service, particularly at constable level. You'll review the role of law enforcement agencies and be able to understand the concept and principles of policing by consent.

Cover the structure of the police service and members of the service, paying attention to both police constable and investigatory roles. You'll also look at police powers and how these powers are regulated. 

Grasp a clear understanding of how the police exercise police powers and procedures fairly and without bias.

Develop a clear understanding of national policing strategies and the role of external bodies to regulate policing, the importance of governance and data protection. Examine and understand the purpose of reviews, instances of malpractice and misconduct and how this influences the future of policing.

Contemporary Issues for Policing Communities - Core

You'll be able to appreciate the purpose, benefits, and challenges of contemporary issues in policing communities in a variety of contexts. 

Explore the function of community perception, trust and confidence and the key issues in this area. Appreciate the importance of community engagement and understand how to foster effective community relationships.

Study the importance of media in a policing and investigation context.

You'll research diverse types of communities and public engagement, drawing on theoretical frameworks. Case studies will be used to assess strengths and weaknesses of the approach to policing and investigating diverse types of community. The legislative framework of PACE and CPIA will be used as a lens for application and discussion.

You'll be introduced to community groups and will spend time learning what makes a community group effective, and how engagement, participation and power all play a role in effecting positive social change.

Communication, Decision Making, Discretion and Investigation Overview - Core

Explore the fundamental skills required for effective investigation, and identify, articulate and demonstrate skills necessary for maintaining professional standards in policing, and relevant governance.

Analyse how the police have developed policies and procedures to reduce the possibility of professional malpractice; then review the progress being made within the police service to improve professional standards.

Examine the NDM and the role of discretion in the decision-making process and analyse the effect of bias. 

You'll explore principles of risk, and effective risk management, and critically review policing incidents in this context as well as understand the importance of effective leadership and team-working in an investigative environment.

You'll be introduced to the Authorised Professional Practice (APP) which is the official source of professional practice for policing. In particular, the Code of Practice to the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act (CPIA) 1996, which defines criminal investigation.

Evidence Based Policing, Research & Professional Challenge - Core

You'll be introduced to problem-solving techniques, sources of evidence which can be used to support policing practice, and the models used to differentiate between types of evidence, to identify best practice.

Explore different models used in problem solving and crime prevention, such as: problem-oriented policing (POP), ‘hot spot’ policing, intelligence-led policing, predictive policing, the Problem Analysis Triangle (PAT), rational choice theory (criminological), and situational crime prevention, amongst others.

Engage in effective problem solving of policing issues in role plays, scenarios, and table-top exercises.

You'll explore the professional concept of evidence-based policing and the impact of evidence-based policing in practice. Consider the importance of partnership working and co-production in problem-solving; and the challenges of using multiple sources of data and different timescales to help define and understand problems in practice.

Learn the fundamentals of research, asking key questions to inform future directions, how to develop a range of options, evaluate them, develop the most appropriate solutions to policing problems and the potential consequences.

You'll be required to identify and understand an emerging issue or problem in a specific policing area and plan a research-based intervention to tackle the identified issue/problem.

Year 2

During your second year, you'll study three core modules and be required to choose one option module.

Victims in the Investigation Process - Core Criminal Investigation and the Justice System - Core Research Methods & Professional Placement - Core The Problem of Proof - Option Expert Evidence and Criminal Case Review - Option

Year 3

During your final year, you'll study four core modules and will be required to choose one option module.

Serious and Organised Crime - Core

Understand serious and organised crime with a particular focus on digital crime and counter terrorism.

You’ll explore policing technologies and the emerging prevalence of digitally facilitated crimes, you’ll consider the role of the dark web, social media, hacking and the variety of devices being used in policing and crime contexts.

Explore the key counter terror terminology and concepts and the organisational structure that exist in counter terrorism policing. There will be a particular focus on key legislation that is relevant to counter terrorism policing, gathering intelligence and how to prevent home grown terrorism.

You’ll consider how technology may be used in everyday policing, from community engagement to data analysis and criminal investigations. You’ll be introduced to legislation and regulations concerning the use of policing technologies and specific legislation associated with digital facilitated crimes.

Cover the essential knowledge required to deal with the threat of terrorism including terminology and concepts, forms of interventions, the organisational structure, and inter-relationships that exist in policing.

Advanced Investigations - Core
Professional Learning Through Work - Core

You'll have a flexible range of opportunities to enhance your professional skills and graduate opportunities as this module will be tailored to each student's development.

You'll apply the theoretical understanding you've been developing throughout your degree to a chosen professional context. This could include a work-based project or skills development approach where you will identify and address specific gaps in your portfolio of graduate-level skills.

Contemporary Issues in Modern Investigation - Core Miscarriages of Justice and Abuse of Power - Option Murder: Dynamics, Pathologies and Investigation - Option

Professional work placements

Experience matters. That's why we embed professional work placements within the majority of our standard undergraduate degrees.

How does it work?

Careers and Placements will work with you to find a placement or help you to arrange your own, whether that's in Leeds, another part of the UK or even abroad. You will be able to take part in a series of workshops, events and live ‘employer challenges’ to boost your confidence and prepare you for your placement.

During your placement, you could have an opportunity to gain degree-relevant work experience, build your knowledge of career sectors and secure valuable employer references and industry contacts. This experience will help you to shape your career decisions and find the right path for you.

You will undertake professional work placements to enhance your learning and support you to develop key employability skills and relevant experience for your chosen career. Your placement could be with a variety of organisations within the statutory and voluntary sector involved with investigations, victim support, miscarriages of justice, addiction services and many others.

To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:

Professional Work Placements

Learning and Teaching

Assessment

A variety of assessment methods are used, matched to the learning outcomes for your programme, allowing you to apply and demonstrate the full range of knowledge and skills that you have developed.

For more details on specific assessment methods for this course contact hello@leedstrinity.ac.uk

Your time on campus, learning through in-person teaching, is at the heart of your academic experience and the way we deliver our programmes. This is supported and further enhanced by additional engagement activities and opportunities provided online and through digital teaching materials. This blended approach seeks to ensure a positive learning and teaching student experience.

Your programme of study has been carefully designed around a three-phase model of delivery:

  1. Preparation: You will be given clear tasks to support you in preparing for live teaching. This could include watching a short-pre-recorded lecture, reading a paper or text chapter or preparing other material for use in class.
  2. Live: All your live teaching will be designed around active learning, providing you with valuable opportunities to build on preparation tasks, interact with staff and peers, and surface any misunderstandings.
  3. Post: Follow-up activities will include opportunities for you to check understanding, for staff to receive feedback from you and your peers to inform subsequent sessions, and for you to apply learning to new situations or context.

Preparation, Live and Post teaching and learning and the digital materials used will vary by course, but will be designed to help you structure your learning, take a full and active part in your course, and apply and test your developing knowledge and skills.

At Leeds Trinity we aim to provide an excellent student experience and provide you with the tools and support to help you achieve your academic, personal and professional potential.

Our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy delivers excellence by providing the framework for:

  • high quality teaching
  • an engaging and inclusive approach to learning, assessment and achievement
  • a clear structure through which you progress in your academic studies, your personal development and towards professional-level employment or further study.

We have a strong reputation for developing student employability, supporting your development towards graduate employment, with relevant skills embedded throughout your programme of study.

We endeavour to develop curiosity, confidence, courage, ambition and aspiration in all students through the key themes in our Learning and Teaching Strategy:

  • Student Involvement and Engagement
  • Inclusion
  • Integrated Programme and Assessment Experience
  • Digital Literacy and Skills
  • Employability and Enterprise

To help you achieve your potential we emphasise learning as a collaborative process, with a range of student-led and real-world activities. This approach ensures that you fully engage in shaping your own learning, developing your critical thinking and reflective skills so that you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses, and use the extensive learning support system we offer to shape your own development.

We believe the secret to great learning and teaching is simple: it is about creating an inclusive learning experience that allows all students to thrive through:

  • Personalised support
  • Expert lecturers
  • Strong connections with employers
  • An international outlook
  • Understanding how to use tools and technology to support learning and development

Entry Requirements

Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.

Information about the large range of qualifications we accept, including A-Levels, BTECs and T Levels, can be found on our entry requirements page. If you need additional advice or are taking qualifications that are not covered in the information supplied, please contact our Admissions Office.

Entry requirements for this course:
QualificationGrade
UCAS tariff48
GCSE requirementsGCSE English Language at grade C or 4 (or higher)

Applications are welcome from mature students with few formal qualifications.

Any previous relevant work experience and learning will be assessed and, where appropriate, we may offer an alternative way to assess suitability to study.

This course is not available to students on a Student Route Visa.

Fees and finance

UK Home fees £9,250 per year
Full-time

Funding

UK Home Students:

Tuition fees cost £9,250 a year for this course in 2024/2025.

Part-time tuition fees will be prorated accordingly to the number of credits you're studying.

Depending on government policy, tuition fees may change in future years.

Tuition fees for 2025/2026 entry will be confirmed, subject to government approval, later in 2024.

Living costs, e.g. accommodation, travel, food, will also need to be taken into consideration.

Leeds Trinity offers a range of bursaries and scholarships to help support students while you study.

Additional costs

We advise students that there may be additional course costs in addition to annual tuition fees. These include:

  • Books - recommended and required reading lists will be provided at the start of your course. All the books and e-books are available from our Library to borrow but you may choose to purchase your own.
  • Print costs - the University provides students with a £6 printing credit each academic year which can be topped up either on campus or online.

How to apply

For full-time undergraduate courses, you apply through UCAS. That's the University and Colleges Admissions Service.

On your application form, you'll need to know our institution code - it's L24 - and the course code. If you click through to the UCAS website using the button below, it'll take you to the right place with all the information you need.

You'll need to write a personal statement - we've prepared a guide to help you.

Applications are now open for courses starting in September 2025. The UCAS application deadline for courses starting in September 2025 is 29 January 2025.

There's lots more information about the application process on the UCAS website, or you can get in touch with our admissions team who will be happy to help:

This course is not available to students on a Student Route Visa.

Graduate opportunities

Providing you with the opportunity to develop the professional skills and experience you need to launch your career is at the heart of everything we do at Leeds Trinity University.

A degree in policing and investigation can prepare you for a career in the police or probation service, but also offers routes to an investigative career within government or other public or private sector organisations.

Employment opportunities also exist with the National Crime Agency, government departments such as the Department for Work and Pensions and HMRC (investigating fraud or smuggling); banks and financial institutions; insurance companies; legal firms; loss prevention and private security companies; private investigation firms and fraud and intelligence departments of high-profile retail businesses.

Alternatively, you may choose to continue on to postgraduate study or academic research into an area of policing and investigations, criminology, forensics and criminal justice.

After you graduate, Careers and Placements will help you as you pursue your chosen career through our mentoring scheme, support with CV and interview preparation and access to graduate employability events.

To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:

Careers

Meet the team

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Criminology and Sociology Jonathan Jackson
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Law Stephen Forster
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Policing Sarah Fenton
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