Requirements to become a police officer vary and how you become a police officer varies depending on the department. Visit the websites of the police departments that you might be interested in working for. Police department websites often provide information about their applicant requirements, about how to apply, and about their hiring process. Some relatively common minimum requirements include having at least a high school diploma or ged, being a citizen, being at least 21 years old, having a valid driver's license, and having no felony convictions. Some relatively common steps in hiring processes include application, written test, physical fitness test, interview, drug test, medical examination, and background investigation. People that want to become police officers should consider getting a college degree if they don't have one. Many departments require or prefer applicants to have college. Many applicants have college. Some departments pay their officers more if they have a degree. Having a degree could also help someone get promoted during his or her career. Getting police officer jobs is becoming more and more competitive. People that want to become police officers should do whatever they can to make themselves the best candidates possible. For example, they should not do anything illegal, maintain a good reputation, keep a good driving record, not get bad credit, improve all of their communication skills as much as possible, and become as physically fit as they can. Some departments will hire applicants and send them to the academy. In this case, the candidate would already have a job and be paid while attending the academy. Some departments want to hire applicants that have already completed the academy. Some academies allow you to apply, and if you meet their requirements and are accepted, pay tuition to attend hopes of getting hired by a police department. Best of luck!
College is a must, even if the agency you are trying for does not require it. Most if not all federal and most state agencies require 4 year degrees. Even if you are applying to an agency that does not require a degree, you will likely want to move on later or promote. Forget promoting without a degree because your competition will have BA/BS/MA degrees.
I am in California where officers must earn POST (police officer standards and training) certificates ranging from basic to advanced. Having a degree will greatly reduce the time required to earn your certificates. The higher your certificate the more money you earn and many agencies have pay incentives for degree holders.
Get a degree relevant to the job, criminal justice, administration of justice, public administration, and forensic science. Taking extra writing courses, like technical writing, and legal/medical terminology are highly recommended because if you will need strong writing skills in any law enforcement job. (A minor in English would not hurt.) While a political science degree is better than no degree, there will be plenty of applicants with more relevant degrees competing with you for the job and then for promotions. Law enforcement is all about science, physical and social, so get a AS/BS rather than an AA/BA
I suggest starting at a 2 year college, earn a transferable AA/AS degree in general ed or police science. Attend a police academy during this time too. Having completed an academy will make you much more attractive to an employer.
While in school do whatever you can to make yourself standout from the hundreds or even thousands of other applicants. For example, take first aid and CPR, EMT-1, self-defense courses, additional police science courses. Get a part-time job in an law enforcement related field such as correctional officer (I did this while in school, and highly recommend any wannabe peace officer work in a jail for a few years), become a reserve officer, volunteer for local search & rescue, many agencies have need for volunteers, go ask (as a reserve deputy, I did everything: sitting on crime scenes all night, filing reports, dispatching, processing booking photos, cutting & burning tons of marijuana (N. CA); All great experience.
See if you can go on a ride-along with prospective agencies and learn about the agency and job form the officers you ride with.
There are basically 2 ways of becoming a police officer in the US. What method to use, such as the oft cited “go to a police academy”, depends on the state you wish to become a cop in and the specific department.
First the simplest. In many states you must be hired by a department first. They then send you to, at least, a basic police academy. You graduate, take and pass the state certification test and you are a cop working for the department that hired you. No matter what state they are in larger municipal departments like to do things that way.
In other states you can “self sponsor”. That means you find a police academy, those states publish a list of approved schools, you apply, pay them, go through a basic academy, pass the state test, get certified and go out trying to find a job. Not until hired by a department are you a cop.
Most of the larger or better paying departments require at least 60 semester hours of college. None care what you major in. They only care that the school is fully accredited and that all course of the 60 hours were at college level.
Right now there are thousands of self sponsor graduates pounding the pavement looking for work. In most states if they are not hired within a year of certification they have to attend a full academy again.
As far as education goes. No state requires more than a GED or HS diploma. Most better departments do require between 30-60 semester hours from an accredited college.
None, not one that I can find in my extensive research and experience, cares if your major was in English Lit. or in botany.
I feel that criminal justice is way to limited in scope for a future cop. Cops need wide ranging education and experience to be effective.
so out here in alberta you have to go to college for atleast 2 i reccomend 4 so you can do other police type jobs, after college you have to apply to police accademys, and pass a police entry exam and then take all the colurses in the academy once finished you will have to do a few side course and eventually will be accepted into the police force
Comments
Requirements to become a police officer vary and how you become a police officer varies depending on the department. Visit the websites of the police departments that you might be interested in working for. Police department websites often provide information about their applicant requirements, about how to apply, and about their hiring process. Some relatively common minimum requirements include having at least a high school diploma or ged, being a citizen, being at least 21 years old, having a valid driver's license, and having no felony convictions. Some relatively common steps in hiring processes include application, written test, physical fitness test, interview, drug test, medical examination, and background investigation. People that want to become police officers should consider getting a college degree if they don't have one. Many departments require or prefer applicants to have college. Many applicants have college. Some departments pay their officers more if they have a degree. Having a degree could also help someone get promoted during his or her career. Getting police officer jobs is becoming more and more competitive. People that want to become police officers should do whatever they can to make themselves the best candidates possible. For example, they should not do anything illegal, maintain a good reputation, keep a good driving record, not get bad credit, improve all of their communication skills as much as possible, and become as physically fit as they can. Some departments will hire applicants and send them to the academy. In this case, the candidate would already have a job and be paid while attending the academy. Some departments want to hire applicants that have already completed the academy. Some academies allow you to apply, and if you meet their requirements and are accepted, pay tuition to attend hopes of getting hired by a police department. Best of luck!
College is a must, even if the agency you are trying for does not require it. Most if not all federal and most state agencies require 4 year degrees. Even if you are applying to an agency that does not require a degree, you will likely want to move on later or promote. Forget promoting without a degree because your competition will have BA/BS/MA degrees.
I am in California where officers must earn POST (police officer standards and training) certificates ranging from basic to advanced. Having a degree will greatly reduce the time required to earn your certificates. The higher your certificate the more money you earn and many agencies have pay incentives for degree holders.
Get a degree relevant to the job, criminal justice, administration of justice, public administration, and forensic science. Taking extra writing courses, like technical writing, and legal/medical terminology are highly recommended because if you will need strong writing skills in any law enforcement job. (A minor in English would not hurt.) While a political science degree is better than no degree, there will be plenty of applicants with more relevant degrees competing with you for the job and then for promotions. Law enforcement is all about science, physical and social, so get a AS/BS rather than an AA/BA
I suggest starting at a 2 year college, earn a transferable AA/AS degree in general ed or police science. Attend a police academy during this time too. Having completed an academy will make you much more attractive to an employer.
While in school do whatever you can to make yourself standout from the hundreds or even thousands of other applicants. For example, take first aid and CPR, EMT-1, self-defense courses, additional police science courses. Get a part-time job in an law enforcement related field such as correctional officer (I did this while in school, and highly recommend any wannabe peace officer work in a jail for a few years), become a reserve officer, volunteer for local search & rescue, many agencies have need for volunteers, go ask (as a reserve deputy, I did everything: sitting on crime scenes all night, filing reports, dispatching, processing booking photos, cutting & burning tons of marijuana (N. CA); All great experience.
See if you can go on a ride-along with prospective agencies and learn about the agency and job form the officers you ride with.
There are basically 2 ways of becoming a police officer in the US. What method to use, such as the oft cited “go to a police academy”, depends on the state you wish to become a cop in and the specific department.
First the simplest. In many states you must be hired by a department first. They then send you to, at least, a basic police academy. You graduate, take and pass the state certification test and you are a cop working for the department that hired you. No matter what state they are in larger municipal departments like to do things that way.
In other states you can “self sponsor”. That means you find a police academy, those states publish a list of approved schools, you apply, pay them, go through a basic academy, pass the state test, get certified and go out trying to find a job. Not until hired by a department are you a cop.
Most of the larger or better paying departments require at least 60 semester hours of college. None care what you major in. They only care that the school is fully accredited and that all course of the 60 hours were at college level.
Right now there are thousands of self sponsor graduates pounding the pavement looking for work. In most states if they are not hired within a year of certification they have to attend a full academy again.
As far as education goes. No state requires more than a GED or HS diploma. Most better departments do require between 30-60 semester hours from an accredited college.
None, not one that I can find in my extensive research and experience, cares if your major was in English Lit. or in botany.
I feel that criminal justice is way to limited in scope for a future cop. Cops need wide ranging education and experience to be effective.
well i want to be a police officer, im in gr12
so out here in alberta you have to go to college for atleast 2 i reccomend 4 so you can do other police type jobs, after college you have to apply to police accademys, and pass a police entry exam and then take all the colurses in the academy once finished you will have to do a few side course and eventually will be accepted into the police force