Explore potential graduate career options, with advice from the experts at The University of Law
Choosing the right degree is an important decision – especially when you’re also thinking about what you want to do after graduation. A degree in policing can be surprisingly versatile, leading to numerous job opportunities and providing students with all sorts of valuable skills that are desirable to lots of different employers.
We spoke to John McKeown, careers consultant at The University of Law, to take a closer look at a handful of potential career options and to get a better idea of how a Professional Policing degree could boost your employability.
Police officer
Perhaps unsurprisingly, plenty of students who take a degree in policing are interested in becoming a police officer.
In terms of what this job entails, “police officers work to protect members of the public from crime and to support the victims of crime,” John explains.
“They work closely with community groups, members of the criminal justice system and other local organisations to provide education and advice on the prevention of crime and to support those affected by crime,” continues John.
And when it comes to day-to-day work, “duties include conducting arrests and investigations, interviewing witnesses and taking statements, preparing reports for senior officers and the CPS, and attending court and giving evidence,” says John.
Of course, you don’t have to do a degree in policing to become a police officer, but it will equip you with useful skills to help advance your career.
“The degree in professional policing provides students with the range of skills they will need to thrive in these situations including knowledge of the law, making ethical judgements and communication with vulnerable groups,” shares John.
And for those looking to pursue a career in the police force, a degree in policing has the added advantage of demonstrating your commitment to the field.
“Gaining a degree in policing will make you a very attractive proposition to a recruiting police force for a number of reasons,” says John.
“It will show that you have made an early commitment to your chosen career and it will equip you with knowledge of the law, police powers and the wider criminal justice system that will make you a better police officer in your early years, than another candidate without that training,” John continues.
“It will also give you an added confidence when you first start to wear the uniform, that you know what the job entails and how to handle the situations presented to you,” finishes John.
Probation officer
Another popular career option is a probation officer. John explains the role: “Probation officers are responsible for working with offenders in courts, in the community and in custody. They work closely with a range of statutory and voluntary agencies and have regular contact with the police and prisons service.”
On any given day, a probation officer could be “supervising offenders from low to high risk, carrying out risk assessments to reduce the risk of reoffending, providing pre-sentence reports for courts, and attending court.”
Other duties include “managing and enforcing community orders, building positive relationships with offenders to help change their behaviour and working with victims of crime to support their wellbeing,” says John.
A policing degree can come in useful with this role as it “provides an appreciation of the wider criminal justice system, as well as an understanding of crime and criminal behaviour. This all directly relates to the training undertaken by probation officers,” says John.
Community development worker
Those with a calling to help others might be drawn to community development work.
John explains that “community development workers are passionate about assisting others and this role requires the ability to work with communities to help bring about positive social change in local areas.”
“This involves the ability to communicate effectively with those from a range of social backgrounds to support them in planning what they want to achieve and the steps they can take towards realising this,” John comments.
They also regularly work closely with the police. John says, “community development workers act as a link between professional organisations such as local authorities and the police and individuals, public bodies and communities to help them work effectively together.”
And for graduates of a policing degree, “the understanding of the responsibilities of the police and how they work with the wider community gained on the course can be extremely valuable in this work.”
Civil service and local government roles
Students with a degree in policing are also well-suited to roles in the civil service, local government and with public bodies.
John provides some insight into how this route might work.
“Policing graduates can pursue graduate programmes in non-policing careers such as the NHS Management Training Scheme, which allows you to specialise in one of six areas, and the Civil Service Fast Stream, which is a separate initiative offering 15 different schemes within it,” says John.
“Additionally, the National Graduate Development Programme involves three to four placements covering strategic or corporate functions such as the chief executive’s office, projects relating to frontline services such as social care or housing, and back-office areas such as HR, law and finance. These could lead to careers in local government.” John comments.
A policing degree equips students with “organisation, time management and critical thinking skills, which are all directly transferable to these roles,” John says.
Transferable skills
Of course, these are just a handful of careers that a policing degree could prepare you for.
John explains that “the degree will provide you with a range of skills which are directly applicable to working in the wider security and criminal justice sector, as well as transferable skills relevant to a range of other professional roles.”
John lists a selection of the key skills that students on the course can expect to develop:
• critical and reflective thinking
• problem-solving
• communication
• ethical judgements
• generating and evaluating evidence
• organisation and time management skills
• initiative and taking ownership
• teamwork
• report writing.
And for those interested in further study once they graduate, “the degree also serves as a sound foundation for a specialist master’s degree in related areas of policing, criminology, criminal justice, security or a similar subject,” says John.
Our partnership with The University of Law
The Student Room is proud to work with The University of Law as the official partner of our law hub, where current and future law students can find the advice and guidance they need.
The University of Law welcomes intelligent, ambitious students interested in the world around them; people who question systems, procedures and behaviours, and are not afraid to challenge convention.
Study at The University of Law and you’ll be equipped with the professional knowledge you need to excel in your chosen career, and supported by an award-winning employability service to help you get there.
