The School of Police Sciences (SPC) at Södertörn University is a dynamic centre for interdisciplinary education and research where Police Science is firmly established as an independent academic discipline. The field draws on perspectives from the social sciences and the humanities, with a strong focus on the practical, institutional, and societal dimensions of contemporary policing and public security.

Education

The SPC offers four main areas of education. The core of the School’s activities is the Police Education Programme, which prepares students for professional service as police officers. This programme represents the majority of student enrolment and is delivered in close collaboration with the Swedish Police Authority, ensuring a strong integration of academic study and professional training.

In addition, the School offers a structured progression of Criminology courses at undergraduate levels A, B, and C, making criminology an increasingly important part of the SPC’s academic profile.

The SPC also provides freestanding courses in Practical Police Work, as well as degree programmes in Police Science at both Bachelor’s and Master’s levels. These programmes combine theoretical depth with a clear orientation towards professional practice.

Students benefit from close interaction with other disciplines at Södertörn University, gaining access to a broader academic environment and research relevant to policing, crime control, and societal security.

Research and Internationalisation

The School of Police Sciences conducts extensive and continuously developing research in Police Science and Criminology. Research addresses complex and evolving challenges such as organised crime, transnational criminal economies, cybercrime, violent extremism, and issues related to segregation, marginalisation, and social unrest. It also includes critical analyses of investigative methods, intelligence-led policing, governance, and questions of legality, legitimacy, and accountability within systems of public authority.

In 2025, the SPC became a member of the Interpol Global Academy, strengthening its international profile. Since then, the School has worked strategically to advance internationalisation and today maintains broad collaborations with police education and research institutions worldwide.

A central ambition of the School is to produce empirically grounded and theoretically informed knowledge that supports evidence-based practice within law enforcement and the wider criminal justice system. Through close collaboration between researchers and police educators, the SPC contributes to academic development, policy discussions, and informed public debate, playing a key role at the intersection of crime, state authority, and societal security in a rapidly changing global context.