The Department of Citywide Administrative Service’ (DCAS) Notice of Examination states that; “education credits earned at the Police Academy (PA) can be used to meet their Education Requirement for Promotion (ERP), provided that the credit is accepted by and listed on, an Official Transcript issued by an accredited college or university.” Other education credits which also fulfill this requirement must have been earned as a result of the satisfactory completion of coursework at an accredited college, university or the US Military.  If you are currently attending college, have your PA transcript forwarded to your school to be listed on an official transcript.  Unless you are currently enrolled however, most schools will not list your PA earned education credit on their transcript.  Fortunately, there are schools which provide a service called “credit banking” which effectively allows you to list on an official transcript issued by the institution (For a fee of course!), education credits you earned from various sources i.e. FEMA, Corrections, Police Academy, accredited professional training etc.  No attendance required….MOS are advised to refer to Operations Order 13-2008 for additional helpful information not included here, and additionally, to keep their Online Education Profiles updated in order to avoid unnecessary delays in the future…

Military transcripts are accepted by the ETU directly from official military branch personnel departments only, not the MOS’ military unit. Credit banking military credits is unnecessary.  The ETU accepts multiple transcripts from the various accredited schools attended. Credits earned at multiple schools are not required to be listed together on a single transcript.

Contact a school of your choice and forward and PA training records transcript-OR, if credit banking contact one of the schools listed below to setup a credit banking account.

Next, contact the Training Records Unit to have your PA training records transcript forwarded to the school of your choice OR one which provides credit banking; to be placed on an official transcript.  Once the school in question has listed the education credit earned at the PA on an official transcript, have that transcript forwarded directly to the Education Tracking Unit.  Following are the steps (including recommendations), for converting education credit earned at the Police Academy into college credit which will assist you in meeting the ERP:

                                    Education Tracking Unit c/o

                                    NYPD Police Academy

                                    235 E.20^th Street Room 808

                                    New York, NY  10003

University or other accredited higher education institution (including the United States military branches) to the address indicated above.

Training Records Unit                     P.A. Room 833                    212.477.9750

Excelsior College                             Excelsior.edu                     888.647.2388

  Frederick Community College         Frederick.edu                   301.846.2400

  Thomas Edison State College          Tesc.edu                          888.442-8372

  FEMA                                               training.fema.gov

PREPARING FOR THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Preparing for the application process can be overwhelming.  Do not despair. The following page provides a detailed explanation of how to master the process.  If you have difficulties with the application process, the Scholarship Unit staff will be happy to assist.

Undergraduate Programs

Enrolling in a program of any type involves a process in which you are expected to complete a detailed application form and, in many instances, requires that you provide transcripts from schools previously attended.  The best advice for completing a college or university application is to have the institution’s academic advisor review the application to ensure its accuracy.  Additionally, most colleges require that you submit letters of recommendations from either former teachers or current employers.  It is important that you make note of application deadlines, especially if you intend to apply for financial aid, which will require an additional set of applications.

Once you’ve completed the necessary paperwork, you will probably need to determine and report the number of credits that you may have received from other colleges or as a result of your Police Academy Recruit Training or In-Service Training.

The Training Records Unit will assist you in obtaining recruit school credits and in-service course credits by sending you a Transcript Request Application.  The Transcript Request Application requires specific information such as appointment date, year of recruit school attendance, as well as the members’ company number.  In order for a college or university to accept recruit school credits, an official transcript generated by the Training Records Unit must be sent directly to the academic institution in which the member is currently enrolled.  The institution will determine how many credits they will accept; credits are not automatically granted for completed NYPD training programs.  This is another process that takes time. It is recommended that all individuals requesting recruit credits and/or credits for specific in-service courses and any other accredited courses taken in the Department call the Training Records Unit, located at the Police Academy, Room 833 for an application. The Training Records Unit can be reached at (212) 477-9750.

Other sources of credit may be achieved through life experience, which for some institutions (i.e., Empire State, Excelsior College) may translate into college credits.

Graduate Programs

For those applying to graduate school, the process is very much the same as applying to undergraduate programs. However, in addition to application forms, transcripts, and recommendations, many graduate schools also require standardized test scores.  Programs in the humanities generally require applicants to have taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and law schools require the Law School Aptitude Test (LSAT), (see Appendix A).  Most schools offering graduate-level scholarships to this Department require these scores.

Generally, students who have taken the GRE and/or LSAT exams during the past five years are not asked to take the test again.  However, if test scores are more than five years old, or if the test has not been taken, the student/applicant will have to arrange for testing.  Usually each school will set its own deadline for obtaining scores.  The Scholarship Unit has application forms for many of these examinations or the applications may be obtained directly from the testing service.

Tests such as the GRE and LSAT are made up of pages containing vocabulary tests, reading comprehension tests, analytical questions, writing samples, and, depending on the test, mathematics.  There are many ways to prepare for these exams.  Several continuing education programs in the CUNY system offer preparatory classes, and there are also several privately run schools that specialize in this type of test preparation.  If time or money is an issue, workbooks with sample tests and practice questions are available in most large bookstores.  If you have access to the internet, there are several relatively inexpensive tutorial programs available on-line.   Regardless of the method, taking the time to prepare will increase the probability of doing well.  There are sources cited in the LSAT/LSDAS and the GRE Registration/Information Booklets to help prepare for the test.

Continuing Education Programs

The application process for continuing education programs is generally easier.  Since there are no degrees involved and the studies are less formal, students simply sign up for courses.  Some of the more difficult certificate programs may require a more formal application process, but even these are less time-consuming than traditional, degree-granting programs.  Registration is also a much faster process; often, students can register for courses a few weeks or a few days before classes begin.

Now that we’ve discussed the basics, let’s take a look at the educational opportunities offered by this Department, the City of New York, and other resources.

ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ALL SCHOLARSHIPS:

Scholarship candidates must have completed a minimum of three (3) years of satisfactory Department service, at the time of application.   Must not be a former Transit or Housing Police Department scholarship recipient, or have attended the FBI National Academy or the Southern Police Institute, or have received any prior NYPD sponsored scholarship involving an extended leave of absence with pay.  Scholarships are awarded as equitably as possible to qualified candidates.  Prior scholarships (traditional and non-traditional), educational leaves, and other awards will be considered in the selection process and may be cause for disqualification.

Selection and Award Criteria

• As a consideration for award, candidates must agree in writing to remain with the Department for a specified number of years (usually 2-4) after completion of their educational program, depending on the type of scholarship being accepted.  The clock begins at the end of the final semester of the award.
• Members granted a paid Educational Leave of Absence must agree in writing to remain in the Department for two (2) years upon completion of their educational program.
• Applicants must be accepted by the school offering the scholarship in accordance with their academic standards and application process.  The Scholarship Committee will make final determinations for all awards, except for New York Law, and St. John’s School of Law.
• Awardees will be required to supply a transcript upon completion of each school semester.
• Awardees must sign a release granting Department access to academic records.

Application Information:

·         Completed application package must be sent directly to the Scholarship Unit.

Department   Mail                           U.S. Mail

Scholarship Unit                                 Scholarship Unit

NYPD Training Bureau                      NYPD Training Bureau

Police Academy                                  235 E. 20^th St. Rm 803B                                                   New York, N.Y. 10003

For further information contact: Scholarship Unit – 212-477-9212

Note:   Active Scholarship Programs are all announced via Department Bulletinsand the Finest system.