New pathway for aspiring police officers

Before setting foot on the grounds of the Victoria Police Academy, Constable Scott Wilson already had a head start in his training to become a police officer.

As part of a joint initiative between Victoria Police and Monash University, Const Wilson graduated from the Academy in September 2025 with a Bachelor of Criminology and Policing.

Applying to become a police officer was always on the cards for Const Wilson, but he also wanted to study.

“Policing was always the end goal, but I knew I wanted to do my university degree first to spend a bit of time out of school getting some life experience first,” he said.

“I’d actually started a criminology degree at a different uni first, and when I was able to transfer to this one, I jumped at it.”

A dual pathway

The combined Bachelor of Criminology and Policing, the only course of its kind in Australia, allows aspiring police officers to study and train at the same time.

The first two years of the three-year program are completed in-person at Monash University’s Clayton campus, where students learn about policing and criminal justice in a local, national and global context.

In their second year, students start the Victoria Police recruitment process and, if successful, begin at the Academy during their third year of the degree, completing a final two subjects online while they undertake foundation training to become a police officer.

Students also have access to mentors from both Victoria Police and Monash University, who provide general support, guidance and help preparing for the recruitment process.

“Not only was the study an eye-opening experience, giving me a greater insight into the role police have in today's society, both in Victoria and worldwide, but having access to a mentor through the recruitment process was a huge help,” Const Wilson said.

Greater knowledge for future police

Foundation Training Acting Superintendent Sue Landy said graduates of the degree emerge with strong knowledge in areas like social justice, family violence, hate crime, and cybersecurity.

“Having police graduate from the Academy with contemporary, academic knowledge of these crime themes is a huge advantage for Victoria Police and the community,” A/Supt Landy said.

“It gives them an in-depth understanding of why people commit crimes and the drivers of offending.

“A background in criminology also helps as members approach different situations in their careers, particularly when developing strategies to reduce crime.”

Const Wilson, now working at Moorabbin Police Station, said the knowledge gained from his degree helped him during his training at the Academy and continues to help him every day on the job.

“It gave me a good foundation to build my knowledge on once I started at the Academy,” he said.

“There are specific policing units we did at uni that helped me gain a deeper understanding of issues in the community – issues which I now come across daily on the job – so this has helped me be prepared to handle those.”

A/Supt Landy said enrolment in the program has grown significantly in the three years since it started in 2022, from one student in the first year, to 20 last year.

“We could see that number double again this year,” she said.

“These numbers highlight the importance of offering different pathways into a policing career.

“We serve a diverse community, and having different pathways into policing helps us recruit diverse members to best serve that community.”

More information on the Bachelor of Criminology and Policing, including upcoming information sessions, is available on the Traineeships, study and VCE pathways page.