Policing, Law Enforcement and Security MSc
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Course Summary
In today’s rapidly evolving world, the need for effective policing, law enforcement and security measures has never been greater. As society faces new and complex challenges, the MSc in Policing, Law Enforcement and Security at the University of Chester prepares professionals to safeguard our communities and uphold justice.
If you have an academic/professional background in policing, law enforcement and security, or in a related subject (such as criminology, criminal justice, law, psychology or other social science subject), this course will give you the opportunity to further your studies and research topics of contemporary interest.
The course demonstrates how theoretical knowledge gained during your studies is incorporated into strategies and applied in practice in law enforcement. You'll gain a deeper knowledge and critical appreciation/understanding of how policing and law enforcement prevent and address crime.
You will study topics such as transnational crime, human trafficking and cross-border law enforcement cooperation, which are priority areas for policing, law enforcement and security organisations, and you'll gain the practical skills to undertake risk assessments. You'll also look at culture, accountability and social justice issues, with a focus on improving policing practices, reducing systemic inequalities and fostering trust within communities, providing you with a critical appraisal of professional and ethical issues in policing and law enforcement.
With extensive practitioner experience on the academic teaching team and guest sessions with serving practitioners from specialist law enforcement agencies, including the police service and the National Crime Agency, you can expect research-informed teaching which is brought to life by referring to real-world scenarios.
This course will equip you with the knowledge, systematic understanding and critical awareness of using policing/criminological research to design and implement evidence-based policing practices to shape reform and innovation. You will develop a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods appropriate to postgraduate research in policing, law enforcement and security. As part of the course, you will design/conduct/report on an independent piece of research, enabling you to showcase the professional and transferable skills you have obtained/advanced throughout the course, and which can be put to use during further professional training in the policing and law enforcement sector or elsewhere. On completion of the course, you may choose to undertake doctoral research or progress to a research career.
Extensive practitioner experience within the academic teaching team
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Small group sizes and excellent level of pastoral support
Flexible opportunities to pursue your own research interests
What You'll Study
The MSc offers modules that will enable you to study subjects that are of significant threat and challenge to contemporary society, and which are reflected in the United Kingdom's National Strategic Assessment of Serious and Organised Crime and the National Security Strategy as priority areas for policing, law enforcement and security agencies.
The course culminates with the Dissertation module, building on the Research Methods module that commences in the October of the academic year. You will embark on the research dissertation under the close and continuing supervision of a dedicated research supervisor. The dissertation of circa 12,000 words will be subject to summative assessment.
MODULES
- Risk Management and Vulnerability (20 Credits): The aim of this module is to provide you with advanced theoretical knowledge and understanding of the key issues and debates with regards to multi-agency working. During this module, key guidance and preventive models will be discussed, which will lead to the recognition of the key issues relevant to multi-agency working. All aspects of public protection in terms of how police, law enforcement and security agencies manage investigations and reduce the risks to the individual. Focus within this module will be towards 'safeguarding', risk identification, concepts and evidence, which supports the protection of victims/witnesses and how offenders are managed.
- Research Methods (20 Credits): You will critically examine the philosophy of conducting research and the complex nature of knowledge. The concept of the research cycle will form the structure around which both quantitative and qualitative research processes, methodology and methods will be explored. A key emphasis will be on the construction of the research question or hypothesis and the consequent decisions that need to be made once this is established. Critical systematic literature reviewing will be examined in detail, as will methods of information retrieval. Ethical practice in conducting research will underpin the content of this module, with critical appraisal of a range of key ethical principles particularly relevant to researching policing, law enforcement and security.
- Dissertation (60 Credits): This module builds on the Research Methods module. You will design, conduct and report on an area of individual research based upon an area of study relevant to policing, wider law enforcement or security, to complete your 12,000-word dissertation. All studies that utilise research participants (such as interviews, questionnaires/surveys, focus groups and observations) will be required to submit a completed Ethics form for approval to the Department's Ethics Committee, prior to any engagement with the participants. Individual supervision sessions will provide guidance and support on all areas of the research process and will be intended to meet the specific needs of the individual researcher.
- The Challenges of Leadership (40 Credits): The module focuses on the challenges of leadership, critically reviewing how leadership needs to have ethics at the heart of the leadership style/strategy and the part that culture plays in delivering this. You will examine the legislative obligations leadership in England and Wales, as well as obligations of a series of key statutory and non-statutory agencies in the public, private and voluntary sectors. You will develop a critical understanding of policing accountability and policing culture, and how culture may impact an officer’s decision-making in practice, leading to impacts on public confidence in policing.
- Serious Organised Crime (20 Credits): The aim of this module is for you to consider the thematic development and theoretical perspectives of the nature and threat from international serious and complex organised crime and the impact it is having on 21st-century society law enforcement. You will study the origins and evolution of serious organised crime, including the key characteristics and the complexities of definition, whilst exploring the synthesis of crime type and crime groups, the impact of human intelligence and how the criminal use of technology is central to the threat from serious organised crime. Specific emphasis will focus on the United Kingdom's Serious Organised Crime Strategy and how this applies to contemporary law enforcement philosophy and practical application of investigative practices.
Upon completion of all course modules, you will be awarded the MSc in Policing, Law Enforcement and Security.
The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If, during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.
Dr Stephanie Worrell
Senior Lecturer
Mike Parsons
Senior Lecturer
Guy Hindle
Lecturer in Policing
Paul Beauchamp
Lecturer in Policing
The course has been designed to address the myriad contemporary challenges faced by policing, law enforcement and security industries, with a particular focus on individuals who are working in, or aspire to, leadership roles within professional law enforcement and security organisations.
Scheduled contact hours range between approximately three and seven hours per week, depending upon whether studying the course full-time or part-time.
All teaching is delivered by experienced academics and practitioners, with the fundamental principles of the Chester Future Skills Curriculum at its core – building your subject competence, confidence and key transferable skills to shape you into a world-ready Chester graduate. The lecturing team comprises academic members of the University, who are also former professional practitioners with significant and varied practical experience of the module content, in addition to staff who are subject specialists and have engaged with research in the relevant areas of study. Furthermore, you will be provided with up-to-date inputs by the inclusion of a range of guest speakers, who are currently serving practitioners from a variety of agencies in policing, law enforcement and security.
Unique aspects of this course include: the level of pastoral support offered to students; the small group sizes; and the range of students on the course, including progressing students, international students and professionals. You will be given the opportunity to join undergraduate students on days when they are using the Immersive Learning Suite and the Crime Scene House for simulated role-plays.
There is a wide range of assessments designed to help you consolidate your learning and develop key skills, so you will be equipped for a variety of careers. Assessments include coursework, research portfolio, presentations and a research dissertation. The use of authentic assessments include the risk management plan and professional discussion, multi-agency plan/strategy and an intelligence plan. All modules are supported by a suite of detailed online learning activities and guidance, including lessons, readings and tasks to supplement knowledge. All resources are included, including digital access to core texts through our libraries, and subscriptions to online databases.
The structure of this course is purposely focused to include content on the real-world professional context. The curriculum will enable you to attain transferable skills that you can use in your future employment. The available modules are considered to be fundamentally important 21st-century baselines for all professional organisations and provide the underpinning knowledge expected of practitioners, supervisors and leaders in multi-layered hierarchical disciplined organisations in wider Law Enforcement and Security.
Entry Requirements
2:2 honours degree
A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree in a relevant discipline, e.g. Policing, Criminology, or equivalent qualification is required. Credit exemption may be given for certified or experiential learning taken during the previous five years. An interview can form part of the admissions process, for students with relevant experiential learning.
Applicants whose first language is not English must provide evidence of proficiency to IELTS 6.5 with no less than 5.5 in each band or equivalent.
2:2 honours degree
A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree in a relevant discipline, e.g. Policing, Criminology, or equivalent qualification is required. Credit exemption may be given for certified or experiential learning taken during the previous five years. An interview can form part of the admissions process, for students with relevant experiential learning.
English Language Requirements
For more information on our English Language requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements.
City centre location
On-site library
Social spaces
Wheeler Reception
Lecture Theatre CRV139
Law Mooting Room
Lecture Theatre CRV119
Crime Scene House, Living Room
Crime Scene House, Kitchen
Crime Scene House, Bedroom
Fees and Funding
£8,775for a full-time course (2025/26)
Guides to the fees for students who wish to commence postgraduate courses are available to view on our Postgraduate Taught Programmes Fees page. Here you will also find information about part-time fees and project/placement year fees.
£15,000for a full-time course (2025/26)
The tuition fees for international students studying Postgraduate programmes in 2025/26 are £15,000.
Please note: For MSc programmes where a placement or project year is undertaken there will be an additional charge of £2,750 for the placement/project year (due at the start of the second year of the course).
The University of Chester offers generous international and merit-based scholarships for postgraduate study, providing a significant reduction to the published headline tuition fee. You will automatically be considered for these scholarships when your application is reviewed, and any award given will be stated on your offer letter.
For more information, go to our International Fees, Scholarship and Finance section.
Irish Nationals living in the UK or ROI are treated as Home students for Tuition Fee Purposes.
Your course will involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees. This may include books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials, specialist clothing, travel to placements, optional field trips and software. Compulsory field trips are covered by your tuition fees.
The University of Chester supports fair access for students who may need additional support through a range of bursaries and scholarships.
Full details, as well as terms and conditions for all bursaries and scholarships can be found on the Fees and Finance section of our website.
Your Future Career
Job Prospects
The MSc has been designed following consultation with policing, law enforcement and security agencies, so that the content delivers the key knowledge requirements of professionals currently working in that field. The course will provide you with an in-depth understanding and appreciation of the complexities of policing, law enforcement and security in contemporary society.
While studying our MSc in Policing, Law Enforcement and Security, you will develop skills that are in high demand with employers across all sectors. You will be equipped with substantial knowledge and understanding of theoretical and methodological approaches to contemporary policing, law enforcement and security. Furthermore, you will possess excellent transferable skills, which are developed through all modules, and, in particular, within the research methods module.
Career paths identified include roles within policing, the Youth Offending Service, Prison and Probation Service, the National Crime Agency, and the Civil Service, but the knowledge, abilities and skills developed throughout the course will prove valuable in a wide range of central and local government areas. Additionally, you can choose to further your studies and undertake a PhD.
Careers Service
The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.
Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.
We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extracurricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.