What degree should I pick for being a detective?

Ive chosen history, philosophy, and English literature at alevel. Would a history degree be okay for becoming a detective? Or would something else be better. Technically, I could do a policing degree but that narrows my opportunities if something were to happen that would mean I couldn't be a police officer or for after Ive left the police if I wanted to get another job. However, being a detective is all I ever want to do!

It sounds like OP has already chosen and is doing their A levels, and is asking for advice on what degree to move on to.

There are police degree apprenticeships. I see your point about a policing degree being a bit limiting, but a degree apprenticeship would be a different matter as you would be gaining transferable workplace skills.

The only degree that will help you in any way at all is a law degree - and even then the benefit is quite marginal in the sense that it just gives you a headstart on criminal law and possibly criminal procedure if it were offered to you as an option.

Everything else doesn't really help you in any real way other than for general education or as an alternative if things don't go to plan, or if you want to have a follow-on employment.

You are entirely correct in that policing degrees suck.

A reasonable path would be: law degree with a placement year (if you can't think of anything you'd enjoy more) - and take the opportunity to do pro bono work so that you have court experience. Then take absolutely any job you can - it really doesn't matter what as long as it has some kind of contact with the public. Then keep that job whilst you apply to be a police officer - the process can be quite long, and you'd be gaining work experience and getting paid throughout.

One thing that will really aid you is some kind of training on Adobe Acrobat Pro. Being able to quickly edit and manipulate pdfs will make you everyone's favourite.

I'd enjoy doing History at uni - would that work well too? Or would a law and History degree be better. The entry scheme I was looking at for joining the police as a detective you do get paid for but you need a degree to do it, but you're definitely right in saying it would be important to have a job prior to joining the force as the entry scheme is about 6 months before you're even accepted to the entry scheme. Therefore, would a Law and History degree work?