Degree Holder Entry Programme (Graduate Diploma)

The Metropolitan Police Service have plenty to be proud of; the quality of their people, and the job they do to police London. Over 40,000 colleagues are dedicated to serving 9 million+ residents of one of the world's most dynamic and diverse global cities. 

As the UK’s largest police service and one of the biggest employers in London and the South East, policing in London and in the Met offers a wealth of exciting and rewarding experiences and career opportunities. Supporting local communities, tackling serious crime and safeguarding those most vulnerable – no two days on the job are ever the same. There are also opportunities to move into specialist roles and units, from firearms, public order and family liaison, to cyber-crime, counter terrorism and becoming a detective investigating crimes.

The University is here to support you through your time as an apprentice. We are the top university in London for overall student satisfaction*, with excellent student support services. You will be joining a diverse community of students and will benefit from over £200 million investment in our teaching and learning facilities. Find out more:

• School of Human and Social Sciences 

*According to the National Student Survey 2020, question 27. Excludes specialist institutions.

Working for the Met as a Police Constable is a genuinely rewarding career where you are able to see the impact that your hard-work has in making London safer for everybody. In addition to the personal satisfaction that you gain, you will receive a competitive salary as well as a number of other benefits.

Whether you're on or off duty, you'll enjoy free travel on London Underground and buses, seven days a week, from the time you have completed your initial police training courses. You can also enter in to our rail travel scheme for heavily discounted rail travel up to 70 miles from central London.

Many major high street stores, retail outlets and other national organisations offer discounts and special deals to police officers and many of the Met's sites have subsidised staff restaurants.

You can join our contributory private healthcare scheme and will also benefit from free eye tests and glasses if you regularly use a computer.

You, your family and friends will be able to access a huge number of subsidised leisure and sporting activities. There are nearly fifty different sports and social associations that you (and in many cases your family) can benefit from joining.

As a full-time Police Constable in the Met, you'll have 22 days paid annual holiday, rising to 30 days a year depending on your length of service. This is on top of public holidays and an average of two rest days each week. You can also expect other forms of leave, including maternity, paternity and adoption leave, special leave (with or without pay), parental leave and career breaks of up to five years.

We pride ourselves on being a caring employer and provide a whole range of support initiatives to help with both you and your family's welfare. These include:

• support for employees with caring responsibilities (e.g. flexible working arrangements)
• occupational health and welfare counselling (from psychotherapy to financial guidance)
• resettlement and outplacement support and services
• a subsidised convalescence home
• holiday play schemes to help with your childcare
• a network of 'First Contacts' who you can talk to about anything on a one-to-one basis
• development and mentoring schemes
• membership of the Police Federation
• staff Support Associations to support and represent your needs and/or beliefs and values.

When you start as a new Police Constable, you'll automatically become a member of the New Police Pension Scheme 2015. This is a CARE (Career Average Revalued Earnings) pension scheme that offers a guaranteed pension with an optional lump sum, based on the earnings you receive during your career. Both you and the Met will contribute and you will receive tax relief on the contributions you make. If you already have a pension it may be possible to transfer this into the police scheme.

Joining the Met as a new Police Constable is just the beginning of the journey – this could be the start of an exciting and varied career. During your probationary period, you'll be working alongside experienced officers and gaining a wide range of practical and on-the-job knowledge to compliment your in-classroom training. The foundation you gain will stand you in good stead for the rest of your police career.

Once you have successfully completed your probationary period, you'll then have plenty of opportunities to continue your professional development. Given that London is a unique city, it presents a unique set of policing challenges.

This means that the Met is involved in a wide range of operations and policing events, each presenting their own distinct opportunities to broaden your skill set, on a scale that you wouldn’t find in any other police service.

As a PC in London’s Met your career path could take you in many directions, be it as a detective, working in diplomatic protection, child protection, or as an authorised firearms officer. A dog handler or member of the mounted branch, working on 24hr response, or in cybercrime, the list of opportunities afforded to you at the Met is endless.

• Starting salary of over £36,775, including allowances, rising to *£37,775 in week 30, or £34,820 for our Met Officer Gateway Programme (MOGP) entry route
• Salary increases to £39,181, including allowances, or £40,387 for PCDA, including allowances once you complete probation.
• Salary will increase each year up to over £54,000, including allowances, within seven years
• on promotion to the next police rank – sergeant – you can earn over £57,000, including allowances. Most officers apply for sergeant after five years as a constable.

*payable if the required standard is met until the recruit police officer reaches pay point 2

During your 1st year, you will study the following modules:

• Introduction to the Role of the Police & Operational Policing Skills
• Safeguarding, Public Protection & Vulnerability
• Crime Investigation & Intelligence Management.

During your 2nd year, you will study the following modules:

• Community Policing, Problem Solving and Confidence
• Response Policy, Patrol and Policing the Roads
• Police Leadership, Coaching & Mentoring.

Your training will also include officer safety and emergency life support skills to fully prepare you for your operational role.

You’ll start your training with an initial period of classroom-based learning at a London university and will be welcomed into an operational policing team in which you will be working. You’ll undertake most of your training on the frontline, in one of 12 Basic Command Units (BCUs), where you’ll work alongside a team of experienced colleagues.

Your learning will cover a wide range of policing topics including officer safety training, emergency life support, safeguarding, crime investigation and operational policing skills (based on a national policing curriculum).

Throughout your training you’ll undertake work-based learning, fully supported in applying new skills and knowledge as part of your operational duties, as well as self-directed study and reflective learning. You’ll be immersed in day-to-day policing. This will let you contextualise what you are learning and develop the skills and experience you need for this challenging role, while actively contributing to policing priorities in your area as a fully employed police officer from day one.

You’ll need to successfully complete both operational and academic assessments before being awarded a graduate diploma and becoming a fully-fledged police officer.  All assessments have been specifically designed to test the skills, knowledge and qualities required to be an officer.

You will have to complete a number of different assessments throughout the course, including written reflective reports and essays, presentations (both group and individual) and digital artefacts (e.g. a case study blog or podcast). Alongside academic assessments, you will also need to compile an Operational Competence Portfolio over the duration of the apprenticeship and pass a number of operational assessments against a range of critical policing skills, including; providing effective initial response to a critical incident, engaging proactively with communities, conducting effective evaluation of intelligence and providing support to vulnerable people, victims and witnesses.