The police constable degree apprenticeship allows you to earn a salary and study professional policing while becoming a competent police officer.

About the apprenticeship

Course length: 27 months, full-time, plus 9 months end-point assessment

Start date: Intakes are offered year-round

Course level: Level 6

University award: BA (Hons) Professional Policing

How much it costs: Funded through the employer

This apprenticeship has been licensed by the College of Policing

Course summary

• The apprenticeship prepares you to be a fully occupationally competent police officer.
• Learn to engage in lawful, safe, and effective front-line policing in specific professional areas such as information and intelligence and conducting investigations. 
• Study ethical approaches and how to maintain the highest professional standards.
• Develop knowledge of the criminological justice system, theory and practice.
• Learn how to think critically and act on the basis of judgement.

Learn how to become a professional police constable, meeting the requirements of 21st-century policing and achieving national consistency in professional education.

This course meets the police constable (integrated degree) apprenticeship standard.

How you learn

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

This course is highly practical; you will engage in projects in the police at every level of your course. Enabling you to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours you will need for your future career. 

Our teaching explicitly applies theories to help learners connect them to practical applications.

You'll learn through: 

• Online lectures
• Face-to-face teaching 
• Case study exercises
• Practical scenarios
• Use of AI
• Presentations

You will also complete an end-point assessment towards completion of the apprenticeship.

Applied learning

All three years of the course are structured around applied learning. This links your studies to real-world situations.

Practical application
You will spend time learning at university and South Yorkshire Police to gain knowledge, skills and behaviours to equip you to work operationally, with support from a tutor constable. 

Independent patrol status
Work independently to gather sufficient occupational evidence to be fully occupationally competent. This will be supervised by a workplace mentor with regular reviews to monitor your progress. 

Facilities and equipment 
The South Yorkshire Police training centre has a hydra learning suite, a mock town training environment for role play and other practical activities. 

Campus facilities

You will study at our City Campus as well as at South Yorkshire Police’s Training Centre at Robert Dyson House in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

Entry requirements

Police employment

This programme is only available to non-graduate, serving police officers. You must be employed by South Yorkshire Police as a police officer to apply for this apprenticeship. To apply to join the force, visit South Yorkshire Police.

A successful recruit to the police service via this route will be subject to a minimum 3-year probationary period post-join, as specified in Police Regulations. 

Apprenticeship entry requirements must be in line with:  

• Police Regulations (https://www.legislation.gov.uk) 
• The detailed eligibility criteria for a police officer (e.g. age, nationality requirements, physical fitness requirements).  
• The Police SEARCH® Recruit Assessment Centre3 (a stage in the recruitment process).
• The Degree Apprenticeship Standard/Framework for police constable role.
• Any additional entry requirements specific to the recruiting force.  

GCSE (or equivalent)

Maths and English at level 2 or above (grade 4, or previously C)

If you don't have this yet, we will refer you to our functional skills training partner where you'll need to complete the relevant qualifications during the first year of your apprenticeship.

Additional qualifications

Plus one of the following:

Credit or prior experiential learning will be considered on an individual basis. Other qualifications may be considered in discussion with the university. 

Modules

The programme adopts a blended learning approach with modules delivered through a combination of lectures, class-based seminars, practical work and site visits.

Year one 

• Operational policing 
• Evidence gathering and research skills
• Investigation management and understanding risk
• Reflective practice 

Year two 

• Managing threat, harm and risk
• Teamwork and professionalism
• Contemporary policing and public perception
• Crime and rehabilitation 

Year three 

• Specialist crime investigations
• End-point assessment

Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change.

Next steps

If you are an applicant

You must be employed by South Yorkshire Police as a police officer to apply for this apprenticeship.  

To apply to join the force, visit South Yorkshire Police.