Requirements

Police officer (sergeant and below) - requirements

As a police officer, you’ll be responsible for enforcing law and order, keeping people safe and preventing crime. This job is ideal for anyone who wants to help other people and work in a role with a clear career path. Keep reading to see if a career in the police force is for you.

Know what you'll need to land a job below.

What qualifications do you need to be a police officer (sergeant and below)?

You don’t need an undergraduate degree to become a police officer as the role is open to graduates and non-graduates. If you do wish to go to uni, subject areas to consider include:

You could enter the police force by completing a Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) or by doing a self-funded pre-joining degree. The police force is open to graduates of all subject areas and more importance will be placed on your attitude and suitability for the role.

Please note this is a beta version. We'll continue to improve our suggestions here so that we show you the most relevant subjects.

Do you need a postgraduate qualification to be a police officer (sergeant and below)?

You won’t need a postgraduate qualification to become a police officer, however, having one may be useful if you eventually look to go into a certain specialist area.

Examples of taught MAs and research degrees at postgraduate level include MAs in:

Criminology and criminal psychology
Criminal law and criminal justice
Sociology

What skills do you need to be a police officer (sergeant and below)?

As well as having physical fitness and confidence in your own abilities, you’ll need to be able to work under pressure and as part of a team.

Hard skills usually include:

Intelligence analysis
Risk analysis
Data analysis
Crime scene analysis
Finance

Soft skills include:

Communication
Detail-oriented
Investigation
Problem-solving
Literacy skills
Professionalism

Do you need work experience to be a police officer (sergeant and below)?

Work experience isn’t absolutely essential but it can be useful to have some experience of working with community groups. For example, you could look to get some experience working at a community centre or a local youth group. Organisations like the Volunteer Police Cadets also provide valuable work experience opportunities.