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Degree for police force

Always wanted to join the police, i'm currently doing a-levels in politics, biology, psychology and sociology.

To join the police and get on the fast track programme, you need a degree and it doesn't matter what, can be anything from dentistry to drama.. so i'm going to go to uni for that, alongside the experience, get some indepence, move away, meet new people, social life etc. So i don't really want to do a degree in which i'll be slaving away at for hours on end but then the 'softer' degrees which relate to do what i want to do in life (criminology, forensics combined with perhaps psychology or sociology..or something along those lines) aren't offered at any uni's which tickle my fancy..

Any thoughts from anyone?
Or does anyone know of anyone doing this sort of degree and where?

Many thanks :biggrin:

p.s - not sure if i've even posted this in the right place, sorry!

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Reply 1
human geography could be quite relevant to law enforcement...
I'm in the same situation as you, OP - so I'm just going to take something I think I'll enjoy and that I could go into as a back-up if something goes wrong with the police plan (probably Geography, if that helps).
Reply 3
History or Politics, for general diplomacy/arguing skills? Transferable skills are the key things to look for imo: what would serve you well in the police, but could also serve you well elsewhere should whim or circumstance require it?
Criminology - or am I just being dense?
Reply 5
TheMeister
Criminology - or am I just being dense?


the universities she likes doesnt offer it...
Riggers
the universities she likes doesnt offer it...

I have a bad habit of not reading the posts, just the titles of the threads. :p:

EDIT: Criminology is done at Manchester, which is a good university. But then Manchester might not "tickle your fancy" :smile:
TheMeister
I have a bad habit of not reading the posts, just the titles of the threads. :p:



lol i noticed!!

criminology does sound good and i would quite like to study it, but as i'm going to uni for the experience rather than the degree (granted, it also helps in the job!) i don't really want to end up somewhere i didn't want to go for the sake of studying criminology.

wanted to study in london, birmingham, manchester or newcastle (in that order)... big cities :biggrin: the uni's i fancied in these places don't do criminology! so i'm a bit stuck..


Edit - just read ur above post.. i need a few places that offer the course to apply really otherwise im going to have trouble directing my ps at different courses!!
Reply 8
More seriously just look around till you find something that tickles your fancy. If they aren't that picky about the degree and where it is from you could save a fair bit of money by going somewhere cheap, so look at living costs etc closely.
(edited 11 years ago)
Tinkerbelle &#9829
lol i noticed!!

criminology does sound good and i would quite like to study it, but as i'm going to uni for the experience rather than the degree (granted, it also helps in the job!) i don't really want to end up somewhere i didn't want to go for the sake of studying criminology.

wanted to study in london, birmingham, manchester or newcastle (in that order)... big cities :biggrin: the uni's i fancied in these places don't do criminology! so i'm a bit stuck..


Manchester does it, doesn't it?!
At least it did when I was looking.....(I thought it sounded really interesting, but like you said not offered anywhere I want to go!)
Reply 10
Tinkerbelle &#9829
lol i noticed!!

criminology does sound good and i would quite like to study it, but as i'm going to uni for the experience rather than the degree (granted, it also helps in the job!) i don't really want to end up somewhere i didn't want to go for the sake of studying criminology.

wanted to study in london, birmingham, manchester or newcastle (in that order)... big cities :biggrin: the uni's i fancied in these places don't do criminology! so i'm a bit stuck..


Edit - just read ur above post.. i need a few places that offer the course to apply really otherwise im going to have trouble directing my ps at different courses!!


All of those will do Sociology if thast what your interested in mostly.

Other large cities i'm sure will do Criminology, Leicster, Hull to name a couple!
Tinkerbelle &#9829
Always wanted to join the police, i'm currently doing a-levels in politics, biology, psychology and sociology.

To join the police and get on the fast track programme, you need a degree and it doesn't matter what, can be anything from dentistry to drama.. so i'm going to go to uni for that, alongside the experience, get some indepence, move away, meet new people, social life etc. So i don't really want to do a degree in which i'll be slaving away at for hours on end but then the 'softer' degrees which relate to do what i want to do in life (criminology, forensics combined with perhaps psychology or sociology..or something along those lines) aren't offered at any uni's which tickle my fancy..

Any thoughts from anyone?
Or does anyone know of anyone doing this sort of degree and where?

Many thanks :biggrin:

p.s - not sure if i've even posted this in the right place, sorry!



The only forces to my knowledge that require a degree for fast track (HPDS) are scottish forces.
Reply 12
Tinkerbelle &#9829
lol i noticed!!

criminology does sound good and i would quite like to study it, but as i'm going to uni for the experience rather than the degree (granted, it also helps in the job!) i don't really want to end up somewhere i didn't want to go for the sake of studying criminology.

wanted to study in london, birmingham, manchester or newcastle (in that order)... big cities :biggrin: the uni's i fancied in these places don't do criminology! so i'm a bit stuck..


Edit - just read ur above post.. i need a few places that offer the course to apply really otherwise im going to have trouble directing my ps at different courses!!


LSBU does Criminology...so thats in central london and would relate to the career you would want to do.
Reply 13
I would never base your degree on joining the police, trust me.

I have had friends do just that and ended up leaving 2 years later due to disorientation and pessimism within the force.
Reply 14
Law
Crimonogy
Sociology
Né Stig
I would never base your degree on joining the police, trust me.

I have had friends do just that and ended up leaving 2 years later due to disorientation and pessimism within the force.



^^ This.

It isn't a job for many people, it's a vocation / way of life rather than a job. If you don't fundamentally want to do the job then it's very difficult to persevere through the crap.
Reply 16
Hey you might wanna check if the fast track programme stills exists...because apparantly it doesn't.
I was going to do crimiology and pscyhology...but now im just going to go travellin, have another year out in oz and then come back and join the police.
Which uni's were you looking at?!
Reply 17
I wouldnt rest all hopes on getting a job within the police. Where I am from the current applicant to place ratio is nearly 50:1.
Né Stig
I would never base your degree on joining the police, trust me.

I have had friends do just that and ended up leaving 2 years later due to disorientation and pessimism within the force.


i fully understand what you're saying, it's all i've ever wanted to do, though.
i've done work experience for my local police and quite a few members of my family are police officers in the west mids. i've done lots of research and if all else fails, i have a degree with transferable skills i can just go into marketing or teaching or something. but i'm fairly certain i'll be happy and it's what i want to do :yep:
Anything academic, I'd say - that's if you want to be top ranking.