Criminal Investigation

This innovative and stimulating course is designed to appeal to graduates from traditional academic backgrounds as well as serving investigation professionals. It combines academic rigour and practical experience to nurture high-calibre, confident and forward-thinking investigation professionals.

- Advance your investigative career in law enforcement, finance, health and safety, social services and many other sectors

- Develop the skills you need to conduct serious and complex investigations from beginning to end

- Study for a qualification which reflects the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP) occupational standards

- Choose two specialist options in areas such as financial and digital investigation and intelligence and sexual offences, or choose a specialist pathway in investigating domestic abuse or investigating child sexual exploitation offences

- Learn from an influential team of researchers and practitioners who draw upon more than a century of professional experience in investigation

Meeting professional standards

Ensuring greater professionalism in investigation procedures is crucial to meet public expectations for effective and efficient policing and justice. This programme helps investigators to extend their skills while enabling the organisations that rely on investigations to enhance their performance.

The course has been introduced at a time when professionalisation in policing is a commonly agreed target of all police forces, the College of Policing and the National Crime Agency. In developing this programme, we have aligned it to initiatives such as the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP), which is jointly sponsored by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing.

Gain practical experience

You will build the skills you need to conduct serious and complex investigations from the start to the end of a case. This includes gathering initial information from wide-ranging sources, managing intelligence and preparing high quality evidence for prosecution. There is also a strong focus on interviewing witnesses, victims and suspects using appropriate techniques.

The focus on professional practice you gain will be underpinned by the ethical and critical contexts of masters-level academic study, meeting UK accreditation standards for higher education.