Case Study

I left school with few formal qualifications, always knowing I wanted to be a police officer and eventually a detective. At the time, there weren’t any educational requirements to join the police, but when I enlisted, I was one of the few officers without a degree. Fast forward 10 years, I attended detective training, and although I had a wealth of experience, I started to feel like I was getting left behind. Even though holding a degree isn’t a replacement for training, the BA (Hons) Applied Investigation and MA Investigative Management courses at the University of Sunderland have allowed me to bring all my experience together into two qualifications.

Completing the undergraduate degree helped me grow in confidence and develop my professional identity. Once I graduated, I undertook the police promotion process and was successfully promoted to Detective Sergeant. If it wasn’t for this course and the support I received from the teaching team, I don’t believe I would have been confident enough to go through the process and complete it first time. I really enjoyed the course and it felt like a natural next step to continue onto the master’s degree, the structure of which really impressed me.

There are several reasons why I chose Sunderland over other universities. Firstly, the teaching team – prior to attending, I was aware of the academics’ reputation of being experts within the field of investigative interviewing. The opportunity to learn from internationally recognised pioneers of investigative practice is second to none. The team draw on a wealth of both practitioner and academic experience that no other university course in this field can offer.

Secondly, the MA course content is contemporary and relevant to anyone looking to develop as an investigative manager. The modules around decision-making and leadership helped me to devolve core investigative management skills relevant to my role. The research element is grounded in management, but also gives the freedom to explore any area of investigative practice. This was interesting to me as I was able to bring together my passion for investigative interviewing and my professional role as a supervisor on a serious sexual offences unit. The project allowed me to explore and understand current issues affecting my practice.

Thirdly, studying at Sunderland gave me the opportunity to learn alongside a diverse group of investigative professionals. The other students are all experienced investigators from a variety of ranks within their organisations, for example, the police, National Crime Agency, military, and local authorities. Having the opportunity to mix with such a varied cohort of investigators has been invaluable and has allowed me to grow my professional network. It’s been a rewarding experience to be able to share and learn from what each student brings to the course.

My personal goals now are to drive forward evidence-based practice in both investigative interviewing and the investigation of sexual offences. The degrees have given me confidence in myself, an academic voice, and the network to make a positive contribution to my field. Having not come from an academic background, I didn’t believe I could achieve an undergraduate degree, let alone a master’s, but the incredible support from the teaching team has given me the tools to succeed in my goals. I couldn’t recommend the investigation courses at the University of Sunderland enough and I’d encourage any investigator considering studying here to take the leap and apply – you won’t regret it.”

Published 26 July 2024