It's not as strange as it sounds. The University of Cumbria is getting busy in all sorts of areas, and one of them is a new partnership with Cumbria Constabulary.

The Uni has set up the imposingly titled Institute of Policing and Criminal Justice Studies at its Newton Rigg campus. It's for people who may already work for the police or who want to join the force.

There will be a two-year full-time foundation degree in Policing for those who fancy going on the beat, a foundation degree in Police Studies, and later on there will be a BSc in Criminal Justice.

Foundation degrees allow people to follow a relatively vocational course. If later on they want to carry on with their studies, they can do another year and top it up to a full degree. 

Christine Twigg, Cumbria's deputy chief constable, says that during their two year course, 'students on the foundation degree will gain practical policing experience by working with us in the valuable role of Special Constable. 

'At the end of the foundation degree, students will have completed the equivalent of the initial 22-week training programme, [so] when foundation degree students are recruited we will be able to deploy them in operational roles much sooner.'