degree for becoming a detective

I'm attending university as a first year soon to do criminology and sociology, hoping to utilise my learning to become a detective in the future. my question is, is acquiring a bachelors degree in those two social sciences enough or would doing a masters in criminal justice benefit?

There is no degree subject requirement at all for being a detective. Neither criminology nor sociology would be particularly beneficial but certainly wouldn't be unhelpful.

The only degree that would give you any benefit at all early on would be law - and the beneft would be quite small.

A Postgraduate degree is certainly not required or beneficial.

thank you. I have read that any bachelor degree can help to become a detective. I only chose these two because I find them interesting. What I'm struggling with is what to do after the three years? Obviously I haven't even begun the first year, but I'd like to have a clear route for the future when I'm looking at placements or internships. Do you have any advice with future prospects to becoming a detective?

Let's be clear here - you're talking about being a police detective, right?

thank you. I have read that any bachelor degree can help to become a detective. I only chose these two because I find them interesting. What I'm struggling with is what to do after the three years? Obviously I haven't even begun the first year, but I'd like to have a clear route for the future when I'm looking at placements or internships. Do you have any advice with future prospects to becoming a detective?

yes, either a detective constable or a homicide detective. Im rearing more to becoming a detective constable though.

Ok.

It doesn't really work like that with the police. It's very much like any other branch of government service and there isn't a beneficial pathway as such with particular activities or experience that would help you to get the job in the first place. All that would be necessary is for you to apply either to a force (like the Met or West Midlands police etc) on one of their detective schemes, or there is still the national graduate scheme (Police Now) although I personally don't see the benefit in that any more. All that is required is that you have a degree and you pass the competency / medical / fitness tests. Things like what experience you have won't be a factor.

Of course, in terms of what would make you a better detective once you are in the job - that's completely different, but that tends to depend on the individual and I would say the large benefits come from long term experience like previous careers, rather than short term experience like placements / internship - but this really isn't something to be concerned about. It won't stop you getting a job.

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In terms of how the career itself works, nowadays you can join directly as a detective. Everyone becomes TDC (trainee detective constable) and you do initial police training which is largely the same as the uniformed police officers. You then get extra training on the case management and crime software packages and from then on you are expected to pass the detective exams (National Investigators Exam) which isn't really that hard - it's very similar to your initial police training, but has more of a focus on serious or complex crime like murder and fraud. You'll be in territorial frontline policing- so if you're in London it would be attached to a borough. If you're in a county then whatever their divisional frontline units are. And from there you have a probationary period to get through and what in the Met is called a "workbook" which is to show that you've completed a range of different tasks for real and that you're competent in them. Once your workbook is signed off, you become a full DC.

From there, you could theoretically apply for any internal post or job you like in specialist crime etc, and this will tend to depend on how large the force is. In London there are thousands of detectives doing all sorts of things. In a small county there might only be a few opportunities for detectives outside of general crime / safeguarding. In reality, if you don't have that much experience as a DC its less likely (but not impossible) that you will be successful in getting into specialist squads / roles. So after 2 years, its quite unlikely that you would be on an murder investigation - especially in the Met. However due to the shortage of detectives, anything is possible.

thank you for this, it was really helpful! I've read up on the Police Now programme so I have some insight. What I gathered from this is that anything I do regarding university or work experience may not have the hugest impact with the route to becoming a detective since the 'application' to actually becoming one is separate in itself? (I hope I worded that correctly)