Policing Education

We are a diverse team with a mixture of interdisciplinary academic and professional police experience and expertise.

We are located within the Faculty of Business and Law and engage with all faculties and institutes of The Open University (OU), having been established with considerable investment from the University to develop curriculum in policing. Our activities are informed by the social mission of the OU and our team aim is to develop collaborative and innovative curriculum that enhances of the work of police organisations nationally.

All our team members are engaged in research and/or scholarship related to policing, working collaboratively with our Centre for Policing Research and Learning (CPRL). More information about individual members can be found in their profiles.

Building on the 50-year history of the OU we aim to offer a flexible and creative blended learning experience that meet the demands of 21^stCentury Policing. We combine activity based online learning with tailored tuition support – allowing our students to integrate their professional practice and learning with ease.

Module teams

Our approach to learning design is team-based and combines several level of expertise and student support.

Central Academics: Write the foundation knowledge content and develop an appropriate assessment strategy
Student Experience Managers: Recruit and manage our academic and practice tutors.
Learning Design Colleagues: Project managers, animators, editors, graphic designers and specialist online learning designers who work with our central academics to create an engaging learning experience.
Qualification Manager: Coordinates the module team activities; manages the assessment and QA process; and ensures that all of our learning has the required permissions and information rights.
Academic and Practice Tutors: These are distinct to the OU offer. They are people who often work in relevant sectors, who work part-time on our modules to support students throughout their learning. They deliver online and face-to-face tutorials and day schools to students.

Qualifications

As part of the College of Policing's Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF), the OU offers the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship, the Degree Holder Entry Programme and the Police Community Support Officer Apprenticeship. There are plans to develop further qualifications as part of our 10-Year Strategy for Policing at the Open University. Regular updates can be found on X (formerly Twitter) from the Department of Policing Organisation and Practice.

Get in touch with POP

News

2023 Annual Report

This annual report features a selection of the work undertaken across 2023 which we consider to be highly relevant for the current policing environment.

15th May 2024