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Learn about the Mission, Vision, and Values for the peace officer education programs and how to apply.

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Mission

Hennepin Technical College is committed to providing peace officer education programs designed to eliminate systemic and structural inequities; developed using community and stakeholder input; and focused on equity-minded, evidenced-based, and data-informed practices. Our programs will deliver, monitor, and assess education and training of culturally competent peace officers who are prepared to deliver justice and serve all people and communities with dignity and respect.

Vision

Hennepin Technical College recognizes the impact of peace officers and other criminal justice professionals in protecting, serving, and transforming lives. We exist to build a better future for our students, their families, and the communities our graduates serve by eliminating systemic and structural inequities in educational access and outcomes and delivering programming that ensures our graduates are prepared to serve with a steadfast commitment to our core values.

Core Values for Our Programs and Students

  • Cultural competency and responsiveness
  • Empathy and compassion
  • Accountability and integrity
  • Humanity and humility
  • Social and procedural justice
  • Trauma-informed decision-making
  • Service to and input from our communities
  • Advocacy at local, regional, state, and national levels
  • Quality through research and continuous improvement

Peace Officer Certificate Application

To be eligible for the Certificate Program you must:

  • Be an existing Hennepin Tech student in the Peace Officer AS degree program
  • Transfer from another Peace Officer (PPOE) program, e.g. Peace Officer, Law Enforcement, Public Safety or Criminal Justice program, or
  • Have an existing associate or bachelors degree from a regionally accredited institution

To be accepted into the Peace Officer Certificate Program you must

  1. Apply to the College
  2. Apply to the Program

Applicants to Hennepin Tech’s Professional Peace Officer Education (PPOE) Program will be notified by email of their admission status approximately 30 days after the application deadline.

Application Dates

View Calendar

Applicants must follow the requirements below in order to apply for Hennepin Tech’s Professional Peace Officer Education (PPOE) Program:

Check to see if you meet the minimum selection standards, as outlined in the PPOE Student Advisory Form below, and comply with Board of Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Rules before you start the application process.

A valid Driver’s License must be maintained during the “skills” portion (second semester) of the licensing program to successfully complete the program.

If you do not meet all of the minimum admission requirements, you are not eligible to apply.

  1. Apply online to Hennepin Technical College and pay the $20 application fee. Please select Peace Officer Certificate as the major.
    • Under Educational Intent, select “Earn occupational certificate/diploma”.
    • Choose “Brooklyn Park campus location, and POLC- Peace Officer Certificate” under the Academic Program of Interest section.
      Note: You do not have to reapply to Hennepin Tech if you have applied within the last year; however, you must submit another Peace Officer program application.
  2. Submit Official college transcripts with prerequisite courses to Hennepin Tech for verification. Hennepin Tech must receive the official college transcripts by the application deadline date.
    • Hennepin Tech will retrieve official Minnesota State College transcripts electronically, free of charge, upon receipt of your online college application.
    • You must contact each Non-Minnesota State college where you have taken prerequisite courses to request an official transcript be sent to:
      Hennepin Technical College
      Attn: Peace Officer Program
      9110 Brooklyn Boulevard
      Brooklyn Park MN 55445-2410

      Note: If you are currently enrolled (Non-Minnesota State College) in a prerequisite course at the time of application, you must contact the college directly to request Another official transcript when new grades are available.
  3. Activate your StarID if you haven’t already done so. You will use the same StarID and Password to login to your eServices account, etc.

  1. Complete the Hennepin Tech New Student Online Orientation
  2. Set up your my.HennepinTech student email account as soon as possible after you have been admitted to Hennepin Tech.

  1. Review the Prerequisite Courses list and compare it to the classes you have taken.

    Note: All nine (9) prerequisite courses must be completed prior to starting Hennepin Tech’s Professional Peace Officer Education (PPOE) Program.

  2. If, after reviewing the prerequisite courses list, you are unsure whether the courses you’ve taken at another college meet the prerequisite criteria, contact the Hennepin Tech Peace Officer program.

Admission Dates

  • Fall: February 15 – May 1
  • Spring: July 15 – October 1
  • Summer: December 1 – February 14
  1. Applications will be emailed to the student.
  2. Submit the PPOE Student Advisory Form (located in Qualifications above).

Note: Application to the program does not guarantee placement.

FAQ

Applicants to Hennepin Tech’s Professional Peace Officer Education (PPOE) Program will be notified by email of their admission status approximately 30 days after the application deadline.

Before you start the application process, check to see if you meet the minimum admission standards. The admission standards can be found in the following Minimum Selection Standards Advisory form and Hennepin Tech’s Professional Peace Officer Education (PPOE) Program brochure.

Applications are accepted for students to begin the Professional Peace Officer Education Program each Fall and Spring semester. A student meeting the application criteria outlined in Hennepin Tech’s Professional Peace Officer Education (PPOE) Program brochure (or the Application Checklist) may apply if he/she is in the last semester of completing the prerequisite courses.

If you are unsure whether the courses taken at another college meet the prerequisites, contact Hennepin Tech’s Law Enforcement program before applying. 

  1. The first step of the application process is to apply to Hennepin Technical College online within the application deadlines and submit official college transcripts.
    • The Law Enforcement Certificate major will only be available on the Hennepin Tech online application during the application date ranges.
    • When you apply to Hennepin Tech, you may be asked to activate your StarID. You will use StarID to login to your eServices account, etc.
  2. The next step is to submit a program application.
    • The Law Enforcement Program Application Packet consists of a Law Enforcement program application form, a Minimum Selection Standards Advisory Form, Criminal Conviction Advisory Form, and an Admission Preference Certification Form.
    • Applications are available online only when applications are being accepted for a particular semester.
      • Applications for Fall semester are accepted February 15 to May 1.
      • Applications for Spring semester are accepted July 15 to November 1.
    • Please note: application to the program does not guarantee placement.

Yes. The Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board now requires a fitness test. All Hennepin Tech students are required to pass a physical fitness test during the skills component. Testing will be conducted on the Concept2 Rower at the 50 percentile according to a person’s age, gender and weight. Applicants must row 2000 meters, scoring at or above the minimum 50 percentile on their test in order to pass the fitness test at Hennepin Technical College. The 2000 meter test takes place at the level 5 or damper setting 5 on the flywheel. Click on this link from the MN State Patrol and enter your age, gender and weight to view requirements.

Because Peace Officer Program applicants must have completed 9 general education prerequisite courses in order to be eligible to apply to the program, the Hennepin Tech Accuplacer Placement Test requirement will be waived when Hennepin Tech receives your official college transcripts.

If you are a degree-seeking student from any of the four Minnesota State consortium colleges, you must obtain a waiver of requirement form from your home campus’ registrar’s office showing the substituted course(s).

If you are a certificate student (non-degree seeking) you must have your transcripts reviewed by the PPOE Coordinator to determine if any of your previous coursework may be substituted for prerequisite and/or Professional Licensing Program courses.

It is possible to obtain credit for material mastered outside of the classroom by successfully completing examinations for certain degree requirement credits. This must be accomplished through your home college by following whatever process they have established. However, credit obtained through experience will not be granted for courses required in the Professional Peace Officer Education Program.

No. Preference for admission may be given to students who have submitted an Admission Preference Certification Form signed by a chief or sheriff. The qualifications and instructions for submitting that form are included with the Peace Officer Program application packet.

No. Students may work toward their peace officer degree from any of the four consortium colleges (Century, Inver Hills, Normandale, or North Hennepin).

Certificate students, those who already possess an associate or bachelor’s degree, no matter what their major, only need to insure they will have the prerequisite coursework completed before admission to the Professional Peace Officer Education Program.

No, it is not a requirement to enter the program, but proof of completion of an EMSRB approved EMR certification/class is required before the PPOE Coordinator can sign off for the POST Licensing exam. Certification does not have to be current.

Proof can be an official college transcript, or Minnesota EMS Regulatory Board official certification card or E-Card. You can also provide official proof of EMT or Paramedic training.

We accept 96 students each semester. All applicants to the Professional Peace Officer Education (PPOE) Program will be notified of their admission status approximately 1 month after the application deadline.

Applicants who complete the application materials by the prescribed deadline for each semester and who meet admission criteria will be considered eligible for admission to the theory-based courses of the Professional Peace Officer Education Program. If the number of eligible applicants exceeds the space available in the program, applicants meeting all admission requirements by the posted deadline(s) will be selected for admission in the order listed below. A random selection process is used in each category.

  1. Applicants with admission preference certification from a chief law enforcement officer (police chief or sheriff) in Minnesota. The order for selection within this category will begin with students from the consortium colleges.
  2. Applicants who are AS Law Enforcement degree candidates from a consortium school.
  3. Applicants who have already earned a degree prior to application.
  4. Applicants who are enrolled in, but have not competed all prerequisite courses. The order for selection within this category will begin with students from the consortium colleges.

Tuition rates for degree/prerequisite credits is the same as the general tuition. The tuition rate for the Professional Peace Officer Education Program is higher due to the added expense of providing specialized instruction, such as firearms training and simulation exercises.

Students enrolling in the practical, skills-development classes (second semester) will also be required to pay a driving school fee in addition to tuition.

Students enrolled in the academic, theory-based courses will be required to wear a class uniform (navy blue BDU pants, gray polo shirt, and navy blue sweatshirt). Students enrolled in the practical, skills-development courses will be required to purchase defensive tactics uniforms (sweat pants, gym shorts, T-shirt) utility belt and accessories, as well as the class uniform described above. Books, uniforms and equipment will cost approximately $900 over the two-semester program.

Other expenses include: miscellaneous supplies, and the costs incurred for the medical and psychological evaluations, driving record, and a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) background check.

Student financial aid is available through the Hennepin Technical College Financial Aid Office.

  • Hennepin Tech’s school code is 010491.

For more information, call the Financial Aid Office at (952) 995-1300, or email: FA@HennepinTech.edu.

A scholarship is a type of aid that does not need to be repaid. Students may apply for scholarships to help with their cost of education. These scholarships are provided by the college or outside contributors to students based on criteria determined by the donor.

For more detailed information please refer to:

Other sources of scholarship information include the World Wide Web and public library.

Scholarship Search Engines

Beware of scholarship scams!

finaid.org

Students who have been admitted to the Professional Peace Officer Education Program will receive registration information after receiving their formal program admission letter.

Yes. Students who have been admitted into the Professional Peace Officer Education Program must complete the Hennepin Tech New Student Online Orientation before registering for courses at Hennepin Tech.

For most degree seeking and certificate students the program will take two semesters. Students must take the five theory-based courses in one semester. Students must complete the six practical, skills-development courses in one semester.

To help facilitate individual student schedules, the academic, theory-based courses are offered in a cohort model, morning (9:00-11:50 a.m.), afternoon (1:00-3:50 p.m.), and evening (5:00-7:50 p.m). Students may indicate a preference for a cohort, but are not guaranteed placement.

The practical, skills-development courses are also offered in a cohort model as well. Courses are offered in the morning (8:00 -11:50 a.m.), afternoon (1:00 -4:50 p.m.), and evening (5:30-9:30 p.m.). Theory cohort placement (morning, afternoon, or evening) determines skills cohort placement.

Hennepin Tech offers hands-on skills classes only for the Professional Peace Officer Education Program in the summer.

Some courses for your degree may be available on the Internet; however, Hennepin Tech does not currently offer any of the Professional Peace Officer Education Program courses on the Internet.

The office is open for business Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 5:00 pm. The office is closed on official State holidays. Classes, however, often run from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm.

There is parking in the front of the Public Safety & Police Science Center building. All students are required to pay a parking fee if they park a vehicle on campus. The fee is $3.00 per credit, and is added to the cost of tuition.

The application process to take the Minnesota POST Board peace officer licensing examination is outlined in Minnesota Rules, 6700.0500. You are encouraged to visit the POST Board web site for additional information concerning their rules.

Any information concerning Minnesota POST Board licensing examination review classes will be posted on the Law Enforcement home page.

Members of the consortium can be contacted at the following numbers:

  • Century College: 651-779-3300
  • Inver Hills Community College: 651-450-3000
  • Minneapolis Community and Technical College: 612-659-6000
  • Normandale Community College: 952-358-8200
  • North Hennepin Community College: 763-488-0391

We are located at:

9110 Brooklyn Boulevard
Brooklyn Park, MN 55445-2410

PSPSC Map and directions.

Please refer to the following POST Board requirements included on the Minimum Standards Advisory Form and Criminal Conviction Advisory Form.

If you have further questions, please call the PPOE Coordinator at 763-657-3700.

The Criminal Justice Studies Associate in Science Degree program prepares students for careers in the criminal justice field, such as corrections, law enforcement, probation and the courts. It offers a broader course of study than the Peace Officer Associate in Science Degree program.

For Criminal Justice Studies students interested in pursuing POST Board peace officer licensing, the prerequisites courses required for admittance to the Professional Licensing Program will have been completed while they earned their degree.

The Professional Peace Officer Education Program courses taken at Hennepin Tech’s Peace Officer program (theory-based courses and the practicum) are credits earned beyond their degree. The Peace Officer & Public Safety Associate in Science Degree program is specifically intended to prepare students for law enforcement careers.

Call Hennepin Tech’s Peace Officer program at 763-657-3700 or law.enforcement@hennepintech.edu

Yes, Call 763-657-3707 or visit the CTS Law Enforcement Program for more information.

For more information, about the Law Enforcement Continuing Education Courses, contact:
Debora Hanssen: 763-657-3707 or debora.hanssen@hennepintech.edu
Peggy Anderson: 763-657-3705 or peggy.anderson@hennepintech.edu

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Contact Information

Hennepin Technical College
Peace Officer Program
9110 Brooklyn Boulevard
Brooklyn Park MN 55445-2410

Phone: 763-657-3700

Email: Peace.Officer@HennepinTech.edu

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