Professional Policing Degree Holder Entry

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: £32,256 , rising annually up to £52,014 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.
• Professional policing degree | College of Policing

About Us

West Midlands Police is the second-largest police force in England, serving more than 2.9 million people across Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall. Every day, our people work together to keep our communities safe, protect vulnerable people, prevent crime and bring offenders to justice.

We answer more than 2,000 emergency calls every day and provide policing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Whether responding to emergencies, supporting victims, investigating crime or working behind the scenes, every role plays a vital part in delivering an outstanding service to the public.

We're proud of the progress we've made in reducing crime, improving emergency response times and increasing arrest rates. These achievements are only possible because of the dedication, professionalism and expertise of our officers, staff and volunteers. As we continue to transform the way we police, we're looking for talented people who are committed to making a real difference.

Why Join West Midlands Police?

A career with West Midlands Police is about more than a job, it's an opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the lives of millions of people. Whatever your role, you'll contribute to keeping our communities safe while developing your own skills and career.

When you join us, you'll benefit from:

• Meaningful work that makes a difference every day.
• A diverse range of career opportunities across policing and professional support services.
• High-quality training, development and opportunities to progress.
• A supportive and inclusive working environment where everyone is encouraged to achieve their potential.
• Competitive pay, generous annual leave, excellent pension arrangements and a wide range of employee benefits.
• The opportunity to work alongside dedicated colleagues who share a common purpose.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

We believe that a diverse workforce helps us better understand and serve the communities we protect. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and able to succeed.

As a Disability Confident Leader, the highest level of the Government's Disability Confident scheme, we are committed to removing barriers to employment and supporting disabled applicants and employees throughout their careers. Through our Disability Confident Interview Scheme, applicants who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for a role will normally be offered an interview, subject to the scheme's terms and any recruitment constraints.

Our Diversity and Inclusion Vision is to maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness, respect and inclusion, enabling us to deliver the best possible service to our communities.

Professional Standards

Working in policing is a position of trust. Our officers and staff are expected to demonstrate the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and accountability. Successful applicants will be subject to appropriate vetting and are expected to uphold the ethical standards and responsibilities that come with serving the public.

Recruitment and the Use of AI

We recognise that many candidates use AI tools to support activities such as proofreading and improving the presentation of written applications. This is acceptable, provided the content you submit accurately reflects your own knowledge, skills and experience.

Applications must be your own work. Any evidence of plagiarism, false or misleading information, or the inappropriate use of AI during assessments or selection activities where it is not permitted may result in your application being rejected.

Benefits

We know that supporting our people is essential to delivering the best service to our communities. That's why we offer a comprehensive range of employee benefits, wellbeing support and development opportunities to help you thrive throughout your career.

Visit our Benefits page to find out more about the rewards and support available when you join West Midlands Police.