Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
The MPD police officer requirements ask for 45 semester hours of college credit from an accredited college or university, or two years of active-duty military service, or three years of full-duty police work. A UDC partnership adds 15 credits for finishing the Academy. UPI Study courses count only via a college transcript, so ask MPD recruiting in writing first.
Under the MPD police officer minimum qualifications, an applicant needs at least 45 semester hours of college credit from an accredited college or university, or at least two years of active-duty military service, or at least three years in full-duty status with a full-service US police department.
The rule asks for 45 semester hours, or 2 years of active-duty military service, or 3 years of full-duty police service. The legal source is MPD police officer minimum qualifications.
| Requirement | What MPD asks for | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Education route | At least 45 semester hours of college credit from an accredited college or university | [1] |
| Military route | At least two years of active duty (Reserves or National Guard included) | [1] |
| Police experience route | At least three years full-duty with a full-service US police department | [1] |
| Age | 20 years 6 months to apply; 21 to be appointed | [2] |
| UDC partnership | 15 credits for completing the Academy, toward 60 | [1] |
| Transcripts | Official or unofficial at Prospect Day | [2] |
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Recruiting decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Recruiting.
The subject officers ask about first; 3 recommended credits.
Self-paced online Introduction to Criminology course (Criminology 150). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Useful for crisis and de-escalation work; common general education.
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Community and group behaviour; common general education.
Self-paced online Introduction to Sociology course (Sociology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Report writing starts here; nearly every degree needs it.
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Ethics questions come up in every police career.
Self-paced online Ethics in the Social Sciences course (Social Science 110). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Clear incident and case reports.
Self-paced online Advanced Technical Writing course (English 120). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; check their own transfer pages, then ask MPD recruiting whether it would count that college's transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
| Option | Price | For this rule | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI Study PRO | $99 a month, every course | $99 for each month you are subscribed; take as many courses as you finish in that time | 15 Nov 2026 |
| UDC Community College (DC resident) | $117 per credit hour plus $430 in fees per term | 15 credits: $1,755 tuition plus $430 fees, about $2,185 for one term | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Sophia Learning | $99 a month | General education courses for $99 a month, then a college transcript step | 15 Nov 2026 |
UDC credits sit on a UDC transcript with no extra step. Outside credit costs less per course but needs a college to post it first. MPD also lists tuition reimbursement of up to $4,800 a year for officers.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
Ask MPD recruiting in writing whether credits posted on a partner college's transcript would count toward its 45-credit requirement before you enrol.
The Metropolitan Police Department lists three routes to meet its minimum qualifications. You need one of them: at least 45 semester hours of college credit from an accredited college or university; at least two years of active-duty service, including Reserves or National Guard, with an honorable discharge if separated; or at least three years in full-duty status with a full-service US police department.
The credit route sets a number, not a subject. Credits in any field count toward the 45, as long as they come from an accredited college or university.
Applicants must also be US citizens or lawful permanent residents, at least 20 years and 6 months old to apply and 21 to be appointed, and hold a valid driver's license.
MPD has a partnership with the University of the District of Columbia. Officers who finish the Metropolitan Police Academy can receive 15 additional credits, which takes an officer with 45 credits to 60. Participants also take at least one UDC course at no cost.
MPD's pages refer to reaching 60 credits through this partnership, but they do not say when 60 credits must be complete. Ask MPD recruiting in writing whether a 60-credit target applies to you and by when.
MPD lists a starting salary of $75,433, rising to $82,529 after the 18-month probation. It also lists tuition reimbursement of up to $4,800 a calendar year, which can help officers who want to keep earning credits toward a degree.
Credits that also build toward an associate or bachelor's degree serve both the hiring rule and any later education goal.
MPD asks for at least 45 semester hours of college credit from an accredited college or university. Two years of active-duty military service, or three years of full-duty police work with a full-service US department, can replace the credits.
Yes. MPD accepts at least two years of active-duty service, including Reserves or National Guard, with an honorable discharge if separated, in place of the 45 college credits. Check the current recruiting page before you apply.
Through MPD's partnership with the University of the District of Columbia, officers can receive 15 additional credits for completing the Metropolitan Police Academy, taking 45 credits to 60. Participants also take at least one UDC course at no cost.
MPD says applicants must be at least 20 years and 6 months old to apply and 21 to be appointed. Applicants must also be US citizens or lawful permanent residents and hold a valid driver's license.
MPD asks for credits from an accredited college or university and does not mention format. Online courses taken at such a college fit that wording. Credit from UPI Study would first need a college to post it, so ask MPD recruiting in writing before you enrol.
At UDC Community College's DC resident rate of $117 per credit hour, 15 credits cost $1,755 in tuition plus $430 in fees per term. UPI Study PRO is $99 a month for every course, plus the step of having a college post the credit.
Ask MPD recruiting in writing first, then start with Criminology, Psychology and English Composition.