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HELP!!!! Uni decisions

Hi! I need some serious help and fast😭😭 I feel like I possibly made the wrong decision when applying for uni. I currently have an unconditional offer to study fine art at Northumbria uni. I have always loved art, but now I'm thinking should it be kept more so as a hobby than potential career path. After looking at courses through clearing I found policing and criminology. I had originally wanted to become a police officer so found the course details interesting. My question is, should I stick with art or try and apply for p&c through clearing? What are the chances of getting on to the course? Is it a big risk declining my unconditional? I'm so stuck and I know ultimately it's my decision but right now I have no idea what I want to do with my life.

Reply 1

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by lahohla

A policing and criminology degree will not give you any real advantage in applying to become a police officer.

PO recruitment is based on a whole range of things and having experience in the voluntary police roles (which you may be able to do alongside any degree if that appeals to you) would be more use than a criminology degree (http://recruit.college.police.uk/Pages/home.aspx ). There are also graduate recruitment schemes that filter based on degree classification (so you would be eligible with a fine art degree if you get a 2i) http://www.policenow.org.uk/faq.php#eligibility

Have a read of https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/police-officer and https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/policeofficer.aspx and contact the university offering the policing/crim degree to ask how many graduates go on to become police officers - it's likely to be a very small number...especially given that recruitment is regional and so a glut of graduates from a policing degree could mean competition is greater for entry vacancies than it would be in another area of the country.