Implementing a Police Foundation Degree — Insights from South Wales

The recent announcement by the College of Policing in England and Wales that policing is soon to become a degree entry profession should come as no surprise. For the past decade or so, a professionalization agenda has slowly pushed police forces in England and Wales to recognize that policing is irrevocably changing. Police officers now need to be equipped with higher educational skills, abilities, and knowledge to allow them to function in a complex landscape. However, attempts have been made in the past to establish degree or similar-type programmes involving partnerships between police forces and different universities, with varying levels of success. This article explores a foundation degree programme in a partnership between a local police organization and the University of Glamorgan. It explores the rationale behind the implementation of the programme, its content, and its aims and objectives. It also critically examines the positive and negative aspects of such a programme, and will have resonance for the future.