What does the police academy entail? Police academy recruits receive classroom, hands-on, and physical training at a specialized academy to prepare them for their career. Only a high school education or equivalent is required for this job, but many departments demand college coursework as well.
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Police Academy Training Overview
Police academy training prepares individuals to seek roles as police officers. This required training is often paid, and some programs provide tuition reimbursement. Apart from academy training, aspiring police officers must hold a high school diploma or GED and, in some cases, an undergraduate degree in a field like criminal justice.
| Required Education | High school diploma or equivalent at minimum; some departments require college coursework |
| Other Requirements | Completion of police academy training program; additional requirements vary by department but could include passing a physical fitness test and a psychological evaluation |
| Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)* | 5% for all types of police and detectives |
| Median Annual Salary (2019)* | $63,150 for police and sheriff's patrol officers |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Who is Eligible for Police Academy Training?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that police academy applicants usually need a high school diploma or its equivalent (www.bls.gov). So, what does police training involve? In some cases, at least some college coursework or a degree is necessary. Additional qualifications may include a valid driver's license, a clean criminal record and a physical fitness report from a doctor. Some academies also require completion of a hearing test and a psychological evaluation is always required.
How Can I Prepare For a Police Academy?
Students can begin preparing for the police academy while in high school. Electives such as criminology, legal studies, physical education, sociology and psychology are helpful for aspiring police officers. In addition, police academy admissions officers may look for applicants who have completed college coursework in criminal justice or law enforcement. Some academies prefer candidates who hold an associate's or bachelor's degree in one of those fields.
An associate's degree program in law enforcement covers community policing, racial relations, sociology, legal issues, criminal investigations and psychology. Some law enforcement associate's degree programs are integrated into police academy programs.
A bachelor's degree program in criminal justice, police science or a related discipline can also prepare students for careers as police officers. Common topics include the criminal justice system, criminology, emergency planning, crime prevention, crisis communications and U.S. government.
What Are the Police Academy Training Requirements?
After gaining acceptance into the police academy, recruits participate in classroom and practical instruction. What is taught in the police academy and what does police academy training entail? Recruits learn state laws, criminal investigations, patrol procedures, firearms training, traffic control, defensive driving, self-defense, first aid and computer skills. What do you do in the police academy? Police academy recruits undertake physical training and fieldwork that demonstrates their comprehension of classroom instruction. Field exercises include investigating mock criminal scenes, directing traffic, operating police vehicles, arrest techniques, using firearms, fingerprinting and interrogation methods.
Written, Psychological and Physical Abilities Tests
The hiring process for becoming a police officer is a long and demanding process, and a candidate must go through it before even starting training at a police academy. Is the police academy hard? Yes, it is, and candidates for acceptance into a police academy must take and pass a written test, a physical ability test, psychological screening and perhaps even other forms of testing, like a polygraph test. There is also a medical examination to determine fitness for the job. Testing begins after submitting an application for a position and includes:
- Written Test - This test determines whether or not the applicant has enough basic knowledge to be employed as a police officer. It covers math, reading comprehension, problem-solving skills, grammar and the like. A score of 70% or better is needed in order to pass.
- Psychological Screening - What are police trained to do? The job of a police officer exposes him or her to a variety of challenging situations which may require split-second, life-and-death decisions. Police officers often deal with the hostile or the mentally ill or with tragic circumstances and must have a strong psychological profile in order to be able to do the job. The psychological evaluation assesses an applicant's emotional and psychological readiness for this.
- Physical Ability Test - The physical ability test, or PAT, is a test of fitness that is designed to determine whether an applicant is physically strong enough for the demands of the job. This exam is simply pass/fail.
How Long is Police Academy Training?
Each police academy has its own training regimen and the amount of time it takes to complete it may vary somewhat, but the main elements of the training are common to all. Police academy training usually takes from about six to eight months and is very intense. So, what is police academy training like? It's tough. There is challenging fitness training and, often, even requirements for lifestyle changes that require discipline. Police academy classroom training involves safety, legal protocols and psychology. Police academy training is the final hurdle that a police officer candidate must complete before facing the realities of this demanding job.
What is the Career Outlook for Police Academy Graduates?
Police officer and detective jobs are predicted to grow 5% from 2019-2029, which is faster than average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Employment opportunities at state and local governments are affected by department budgets. Police and sheriff's patrol officers earned a median yearly salary of $63,150 in May 2019, reports the BLS.
The only prerequisites to enter a police academy are a high school diploma or equivalent, and possibly completion of an associate's or bachelor's program in law enforcement/criminal justice. After passing the necessary admission exams, recruits will go through about six to eight months of training at the police academy to become qualified for the job.
