Professional Policing Degree Holder Entry

Have you completed, or are you close to completing, your Degree in Professional Policing? Your next step in policing starts here. The Pre-Join route is designed for graduates who have already studied the theory of policing and now want to gain practical, hands-on experience in a professional environment.

As a Police Officer, you’ll play a vital role in keeping communities safe, protecting the vulnerable, and maintaining law and order. This is a challenging but rewarding career where no two days are the same – from responding to emergency calls to supporting victims of crime, you’ll make a real difference in your community.

About the Pre-Join Programme

Targeted for Professional Policing Graduates, open only to graduates of the Professional Policing Degree validated by the College of Policing. Only these candidates are eligible.
Vocational Learning, two-year programme combining practical on-the-job learning with a small amount of classroom-based training.
Frontline Experience, after initial training, you’ll join a team in one of our many policing units, putting your degree knowledge into practice.
Ongoing Support, mentoring from experienced officers to help you develop into a fully competent Police Officer.
Future Opportunities, after completing probation, you can explore promotion and specialisms, including Firearms, Dogs, Roads Policing, Complex Investigations, or Drone units.

Please note: This is not a Detective route. After probation, you may apply for the internal Detective Academy pathway.

What’s in it for you?

Starting salary: £29,907, rising annually up to £48,231 within seven years.
25 days’ annual leave, rising to 30 after five years.
Extensive benefits, including a pension scheme, employee support, staff networks, and professional development opportunities. See our benefits website for more details.
A career that matters – make a lasting impact on communities while developing your skills and future.

Who can apply?

You must have:

A Degree in Professional Policing licensed and validated by the College of Policing, OR
Be in the final year of study for your Professional Policing Degree.

Only final certificates will be accepted, these must be uploaded with your application. Visit our careers website for more information about the qualifications required for different career routes.

Fitness, Medical & Vetting

Must meet the bleep test standard of 5.4.
Must pass medical checks, which may include drug and fitness testing.
Must pass our required vetting checks. See our Vetting FAQ for more information.

Residency & Nationality

Lived in the UK for the past three years.
Must be a British, Irish, or EEA national, or have the right to work in the UK without restrictions.

Application Process

Our careers website provides a step-by-step breakdown of the application process.
Training & Probation – A two-year, vocational programme combining practical policing experience with Detective specialism training.