Police Constable BSc (Hons) Degree Apprenticeship

All modules throughout the 3-year PCDA adhere to College of Policing learning outcomes and content. Student Officers will receive an in-depth weekly timetable once enrolled on the programme.

The PCDA collaboration will deliver academic excellence and outstanding operational practice to enhance the knowledge, skills and experience of Student Officers to meet the challenges of 21st Century policing.

The PCDA entry route provides the opportunity for academic learning to degree standard, alongside professional operational practice.  On this programme you will address critical questions that span expertise in Criminology, Law, Applied Science, Computer and Information Services (CIS) and Business allowing you to explore problems from multiple perspectives relating to the role, function, and delivery of 21st century policing.  As Northumbria University has developed considerable expertise working with police forces regionally, nationally, and internationally, this sustained excellence in police research is a unique strength and advantage as our work supports the design, development and delivery of this programme. Our work is characterised as informing policy and practice, providing wide-ranging, cutting-edge science and applied research which is developed in partnership with the Police and agencies regionally, nationally, within European networks and internationally.

To learn the relevant legal and professional knowledge underpinning the work of a police constable, and develop the skills, knowledge and behaviour necessary to demonstrate occupational competency as a police constable, you will be taught and supported by a diverse range of highly experienced Northumbria Police and Northumbria University personnel. This includes law trainers and tutors who will provide practitioner specific curriculum input in relation to law and procedures; operational tutors who will provide support, guidance and encouragement during periods of work-based learning.  Key members of wider police teams with whom you will be working during periods of general and specialist deployment, will also provide support and assistance as you apply in practice the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to deal competently, lawfully and safely with work related duties in a range of situations relevant to the role of the police constable

Based at Coach Lane Campus you have excellent access to an unprecedented range of facilities including the opportunity to undertake simulated learning through the use of the Immersive Interactive™ suite. This is a flexible learning space where images and video can be projected onto three walls to enhance realism and give a fully immersive, multi-sensory and interactive learning environment. The space incorporates a control room and observational area and as a fully interactive teaching facility is one of the biggest and best in the country. Providing realistic safe learning environments for you to practice your skills, it will play a pivotal role in your education and training and offers, through simulated learning, an invaluable experience of “real life” policing situations, for example public order, custody suites, road traffic collisions.

Additional facilities located at Coach Lane include the forensic suite, an entire property converted into a crime scene house to enable you to examine simulated crime scenes.  You will also be able to access Return to Scene software that provides a 360-degree interactive scan of a crime scene allowing you to perform analysis in detail.  The rooms in the crime scene house are also fitted with recording software which can be played live to another room or recorded later for analysis.

At Coach Lane there are a number of purpose-built interview rooms which are installed with recording equipment suitable for simulating interview skills which can be recorded and reviewed, as well as live streamed to another venue.  The interview rooms are set up in both a traditional manner and also for cases where more vulnerable witnesses/victim may need a less formal environment.

As a Northumbria University student you will also have access to unrivalled facilities at City Campus, for example specially designed courtroom equipped with DVD recording, enabling you to gain real-life exposure to the courtroom environment, develop practical skills and experience mock trials; the brand new dedicated Computer Network Technology and Digital Security labs and open access computing areas; the comprehensive media centre with television and radio studios; and the City Campus University Library, open 24/7 during term time providing learning spaces, scholarly resources, online services, and opportunities to develop learning skills. 

Assessed as world leading and internationally excellent, at Northumbria we conduct research to develop the evidence base for contemporary policing.

Our work is characterised as:

• Informing policy and practice.
• Providing wide-ranging, cutting-edge science and applied research.
• Working in partnerships with the Police and agencies regionally, nationally, within European networks and internationally.

The combination of this unique range of research rich teaching interwoven with the practical application and development of skills and behaviour has been carefully designed to meet CoP national policing curriculum and core requirements for the professional education of entrants into policing via this newly-established police constable apprenticeship entry route. Successful completion of all three years of the programme, including completion of the EPA, will result in the student officer achieving full competency in order to operate safely and lawfully as a Police Constable in the workplace (public arena).

Overall, the relevance and richness of the programme has been ensured by reflecting employer needs and opinions and securing accreditation from the College of Policing as a programme designed to meet the requirements for an apprenticeship programme into policing at the level of constable.

As a student on this programme you will undertake an individual project within the last stage of the programme based around evidence-based policing and the specialist area you have undertaken in year three.  You will also develop transferable/key skills throughout your studies, including:

• enhanced research skills enabling students to progress, if desired, to postgraduate study, or a research orientated career
• communicating ideas in written and oral forms
• the use of appropriate IT tools
• personal time management
• project management
• problem solving abilities
• independent learning skills enabling students to take responsibility for their own continued and sustainable professional development