Policing Apprenticeship (Operational and Strategic Leadership) (Part-time) (MSc)
The Policing Apprenticeship (Operational and Strategic Leadership) MSc at UWTSD is an advanced degree apprenticeship in policing designed specifically for senior police officers looking to progress their careers. Developed in consultation with police forces, this course offers an ideal way for officers to balance their education with their demanding professional roles. With an online/blended approach, officers can access course materials and engage in learning from anywhere, minimising the time off duty required, making it easier to fit study around their existing responsibilities.
This MSc course enables recognition for prior learning, meaning that your valuable experiences in the field are acknowledged, allowing you to build on what you already know and move your career forward. Professional policing standards and qualifications are at the heart of the program, ensuring the skills and knowledge you gain are directly applicable and respected in policing contexts.
One of the primary focuses of this course is police leadership development. It’s designed to strengthen your operational and strategic leadership abilities, equipping you with enhanced leadership skills that can make a significant impact on your team and the communities you serve. The course covers critical areas, such as evidence-based policing, so that every decision you make is grounded in the latest research and real-world data. Learning how to apply emotional intelligence and decision-making to complex and often high-stakes situations is another core aspect of the program, preparing you to lead effectively in any circumstance.
In addition to strategic learning, this course builds operational skills in policing, preparing you for day-to-day challenges and long-term strategic decisions. You will explore methods that support community-focused policing, ensuring that your leadership always has the needs of diverse communities in mind. This balance of operational and strategic leadership provides a comprehensive foundation for high-level police work.
The course aligns with the Policing Education Qualifications Framework, ensuring that the knowledge and skills you gain meet recognised professional standards. This alignment allows for career enhancement and can even benefit those looking to transition to roles that involve police community support officer (PCSO) training or other specialised paths within the policing profession.
In short, the Policing Apprenticeship (Operational and Strategic Leadership) MSc at UWTSD offers senior officers the chance to gain advanced skills through a flexible, online/blended approach, with a strong emphasis on professional policing standards and qualifications. This course is designed to prepare you for the demands of modern policing, with a focus on evidence-based policing, community engagement, and strategic leadership.
The MSc forms part of the Senior Leader Level 7 apprenticeship for police staff in England.
Course details
- Distance Learning
- Part-time
- Apprenticeship
- English
Fees paid by Apprenticeship Levy for employees in England. Fees paid by employer for employees based in Wales.
Why choose this course?
What you will learn
At UWTSD, our approach to learning in the Policing Apprenticeship (Operational and Strategic Leadership) MSc combines practical insights with academic rigour. Each module is designed to deepen your understanding of leadership in policing, blending theory with real-world application to develop strategic, reflective, and adaptive skills for today’s complex policing environment.
The course also allows officers to apply for recognition of prior experiential learning (RPEL) against a number of modules such as Operational Leadership, Corporate Governance in Policing, Strategic Management in Policing. Through consultation with the forces, this is an attractive option as it gives recognition for the skills and knowledge they have already gained within their working career.
In Year 1, you will explore the foundations of Operational Leadership by developing critical leadership skills for managing day-to-day policing operations. Corporate Governance in Policing will equip you with knowledge of key governance structures, ethics, and accountability in the police service, while Policing and the Political Landscape examines the impact of policy and politics on policing decisions and practices.
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
Year 2 focuses on advanced skills for strategic leadership. In Strategic Management in Policing, you’ll learn to shape and execute long-term strategies within police organisations. Leadership and the Individual emphasizes personal leadership qualities and resilience, while Contemporary Issues in Policing examines the latest challenges, trends, and issues impacting policing and community safety.
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
In your final year, you’ll undertake a Dissertation in Policing, a substantial project that allows you to research a topic of professional relevance and personal interest in depth. This research-based dissertation enables you to apply the knowledge and skills gained throughout the course, contributing valuable insights to the field of policing and advancing your leadership expertise.
(60 credits)
Disclaimer
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The modules outlined above provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this course based on recent academic teaching. We continuously review our courses to ensure quality enhancement and to manage our resources. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand. Where your course includes optional modules, these are to provide an element of choice within the course. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed.
You’ll typically complete 120 credits per year of study on a full-time course. For more information visit our Student Agreement.
Ratings and Rankings
Staff
Our People
You will be taught and supported by a wide range of professional staff and teams here to help you get the university experience you are looking for. Our teaching staff were ranked 2nd in Wales for Teaching, Assessment and Feedback and Academic Support (NSS 2024) meaning that the support and feedback you get will help you learn and develop strong academic skills. Our students have placed us 1st in Wales for Learning Opportunities and Student Voice (NSS 2024) meaning that there are a wide range of opportunities available to enhance your studies and that students play an active role in shaping their learning experiences. Our commitment to your learning has seen our students place us as 1st in Wales and joint 3rd in the UK for student satisfaction (Times Higher Education, 2024, ‘Overall Positivity’ measure). Find out more about our academic staff who teach across our courses.
Further information
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No prior qualifications required.
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End point assessment
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Fees paid by Government funding.
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You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available, please visit our Bursaries and Scholarships section.
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