Course specification and structure
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RPPOSECS - Professional Doctorate in Policing, Security and Community Safety

Course Specification


Validation status Validated
Highest award Professional Doctorate Level Doctoral
Possible interim awards Master of Science
Total credits for course 540
Awarding institution London Metropolitan University
Teaching institutions London Metropolitan University
School School of Social Sciences and Professions
Subject Area Criminology and Sociology
Attendance options
Option Minimum duration Maximum duration
Part-time 4 YEARS  
Course leader  

About the course and its strategy towards teaching and learning and towards blended learning/e-learning

The course offers a specialised doctorate programme which is currently not offered by any other education institution and aims to provide practice and policy oriented expert knowledge to students who already possess a certain level of professional experience in security, policing or criminal justice areas. The course exemplifies the University’s approach towards practice-informed teaching and to forming strong links with the community.

The course responds to market demands for higher rank practitioners in the security and criminal justice sector trained with enough academic knowledge and thinking to draw the links between the local and the international and between current issues and broader issues.

The students are furnished with training in both research and methodology, social science issues in security, policing, law enforcement and criminal justice, and inputs, seminars and lectures by specialist practitioners in specialised aspects of security and policing.

In keeping with the overall ethos of the course, the lectures ensure:

• Balance of local community-based issues and international issues of security, policing and law enforcement, and
• Training in research and academic learning on the one hand and imparting, specialist practitioner knowledge, on the other.

Course aims

The principal twin objectives of this course are:

i. for students to advance their knowledge and critical thinking on issues in security, policing, and criminology and

ii. ensure that the students research, compile, and submit a thesis to university doctorate standard on a topic of their choice within the areas of policing, security and community safety.

To this end the course aims:

• To produce competent, informed, reflective, ethically and professionally competent practitioners who have a sophisticated and critical academic understanding of wider security and policing theories and issues.
• To provide students with a comprehensive and advanced ability to utilise a range of analytical and research skills to critically interpret security and police policy and practice in a range of contexts.
• To enable students to develop advanced skills and competencies in designing, conducting, evaluating and presenting research relevant to security, policing, and community safety.
• To ensure that the specialised and diverse skills and competencies developed by students during the programme can be contextualised to wider security and policing issues.

Course learning outcomes

The following learning outcomes incorporate and depend on the creation and interpretation of new knowledge, through original research or other advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of Policing, Security and Community Safety, and merit publication.

In keeping with the principal twin objectives of this course namely:

i. for students to advance their knowledge of issues in policing security and criminology, and

ii. ensure that the students research compile and submit a thesis to university doctorate standard on a topic of their choice within the areas of policing, security and community safety.

To this end, on successful completion of the DProf. Policing, Security and Community Safety students will be able to:

1. use a body of theoretical and empirical knowledge that is at the forefront of research in security and policing to reflect on their professional practice (LO1)

2. conceptualise, design and implement a research project for the generation of new knowledge and adjust the research design in the light of unforeseen problems (LO2)

3. apply on the basis of a detailed understanding, techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry within security and policing (LO3)

4. make informed judgements on complex issues in specialist fields, often in the absence of complete data, and communicate their ideas and conclusions clearly and effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences (LO4)

5. undertake research and development at an advanced level, contributing substantially to the development of new techniques, ideas or approaches (LO5)

6. apply the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in complex and unpredictable situations, in professional, academic or equivalent environments. (LO6)

Principle QAA benchmark statements

Criminology

https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/subject-benchmark-statements/sbs-criminology-14--masters.pdf?sfvrsn=7790f681_16

Assessment strategy

During the taught module stage in Years 1 and 2
in house group written and verbal assignments and presentations, and following each module, individual assignments

During Years 3 and 4
Completion of thesis, examined by external examiner and internal examiner, and viva voce exam

Module leaders/convenors of the taught modules are drawn from available practitioner staff from the John Grieve Centre and from Criminology and other specialist academic(s), taking into consideration the needs of the student intake on the module(s) and their respective specialist needs for their individual research.

Full attendance on the taught modules is mandatory.

During the (minimum) two-year thesis period, thesis supervision is either by face to face supervision or by distance learning or a combination of both depending upon the students’ work circumstances and location.

Course specific regulations

The course is only offered as part-time.

Modules required for interim awards

To gain the DProf. in Policing, Security and Community Safety students need to complete all taught modules and the Thesis module.

To gain the Postgraduate Diploma in Policing, Security and Community Safety students need to complete all taught modules.

Arrangements for promoting reflective learning and personal development

The course will equip students with reflective and critical skills to exercise in their professional area of development. It will help them to conduct leading research and policy evaluation in their area of expertise.

In taught modules in class, students are encouraged to debate and critically reflect on the way they approach the issues of enquiry in Security and Policing. In doing so, the practical experiences of the tutor and of the students are encouraged to be shared and reflected upon. In class discussion students acquire a perspective of how their own professional practice fits within international security and policing issues.

Whilst the modules are taught by leading practitioners and academics in their respective areas, many of whom are internationally recognised for the quality of their work, the students acquire practice-informed knowledge.

After the competition of the taught element, the student is assigned two supervisors who support the individual student interests and development needs. Each student is encouraged to discuss their personal and research goals with their supervisors. From thereafter, supervision is arranged either in person or online, and should take place once every two months to ensure continuous student development.

List of contacts of relevant university services is provided for additional questions and student support.

Career, employability and opportunities for continuing professional development

Opportunities in the government agencies and private security sector are monitored and students are made aware of such career openings. Where possible, initial exploratory contacts between students and agencies/sector are facilitated.

Security and police personnel generally continue their career within the security sector often being promoted to higher positions. For example, in the UK possessing a doctorate level qualification can be advantageous on the promotion path from middle senior management rank to ACPO rank. Students in the past have also sought a career change after the completion of the DProf towards international organisations, such as in the United Nations and the International Criminal Court.

Students have also chosen to leave the law enforcement profession, obtaining academic positions at universities where they utilise their practical experience and academic training at Masters and Doctorate levels.

Career opportunities

The course will be of direct benefit to law enforcement officers who wish to progress their careers through a high-level doctoral qualification. As this qualification is more interactive and practical than a traditional PhD, it is an opportunity to gain a recognised qualification while making a significant contribution to your professional environment. Previous graduates have gone on to roles in the Crown Prosecution Service as barristers and as senior police officers with the London Metropolitan Police.

Entry requirements

You must be engaged professionally in a recognised area of criminal justice and policing. This can include private sector employees who are engaged in aspects of criminal justice particularly cybercrime.

You'll be required to:

  • have at least three years of full-time experience in a senior role.
  • already be making a contribution to policy in policing or wider criminal justice.
  • hold an undergraduate degree and a master's degree in a relevant subject area.*

*In lieu of this, recognised professional courses with CPD points such as the Senior Investigators course (PIP3) and similar qualifications will be taken into consideration.

All applicants will be subject to an interview and will be required to submit an outline research proposal at the point of application.

English language requirements

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5, with no component score below 6.0.

If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a Pre-sessional Academic English programme before you start your course.

Visa information for international students

As a part-time programme, this course does not qualify international applicants for a Student visa. Non-EU students can attend the study weekends on short-term study visas.

Official use and codes

Approved to run from 2013/14 Specification version 1 Specification status Validated
Original validation date 01 Sep 2013 Last validation date 03 Sep 2013  
Sources of funding HE FUNDING COUNCIL FOR ENGLAND
JACS codes 100486 (policing): 100%
Route code POSECS

Course Structure

Stage 1 Level 08 September start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
SS8076 Knowledge-Based Policing Core 30        
SS8077 Research Methods Core 30        
SS8078 Security and Policy in a Global Context Core 30        
SS8079 Leadership and Ethics Core 35        
SS8080 Security, Policing and Society Core 35        
EL0000 Elective Option 20 NORTH SPR NA  
          NORTH AUT NA  
          NORTH SUM NA  

Stage 1 Level 08 January start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
SS8076 Knowledge-Based Policing Core 30        
SS8077 Research Methods Core 30        
SS8078 Security and Policy in a Global Context Core 30        
SS8079 Leadership and Ethics Core 35        
SS8080 Security, Policing and Society Core 35        
EL0000 Elective Option 20 NORTH SPR NA  
          NORTH SUM NA  

Stage 2 Level 08 September start Offered

Code Module title Info Type Credits Location Period Day Time
SS8P75 Thesis Core 360 NORTH SPR NA