Degree Holder Entry Programme Postgraduate: Graduate Diploma Degree Holder Entry Programme Degree Holder Entry Programme

The Met is looking for people from all walks of life committed to making a real difference. Someone with resilience, empathy and ambition; you’ll receive world class training and become a valued member of an incredibly supportive and passionate team working to keep Londoners safe.

The two-year Degree Holder Entry Programme is a real job with hands-on experience, combining practical on-the-job training with academic learning.

The role of a police officer is much more than blue lights and fast cars. You will wear a uniform with over 190 years of history. As part of your duties, you will be protecting the vulnerable; giving evidence in court; supporting victims of domestic violence; investigating burglaries and working in partnership with the communities of London to tackle serious and organised crime.

The Met also offer a Detective Constable Degree Holder Entry Programme route. Detective Constables deal with serious and complex investigations, uncovering the truth and analysing evidence on cases. You'll work closely with your uniformed colleagues and, like them, will also need to police London 24/7. As a Detective you could be out making arrests, obtaining search warrants and responding directly to serious crimes. It's not an office-based role and it's not always what it is portrayed to be in popular media. Being a Detective is an interesting and varied career in which you may have to deal with some very tough situations; you will ultimately be making positive changes to the lives of Londoners.

At the Metropolitan Police Service, we have plenty to be proud of. We're proud of the quality of our people, and the job we do to police London. Over 40,000 colleagues are dedicated to serving 9 million+ residents of one of the world's most dynamic and diverse global cities. And as the capital is forever evolving, so are we.

As the UK’s largest police service and one of the biggest employers in London and the South East, policing in London and in the Met offers a wealth of exciting and rewarding experiences and career opportunities. Supporting local communities, tackling serious crime and safeguarding those most vulnerable – no two days on the job are ever the same. There are also opportunities to move into specialist roles and units, from firearms, public order and family liaison, to cyber-crime, counter terrorism and becoming a detective investigating crimes.

As a new full-time police constable in the Met on the DHEP entry route, your total starting salary package will be circa £36,775 (including London allowances) increasing to circa £39,181 on successful completion of your probationary period. Base salary increases annually and typically police constables with seven years’ service can expect to earn circa £57,000 (including allowances).

Part-time officers' salaries will be based on the pro-rata equivalent of a full-time officer.

Working for the Met as a Police Constable is a genuinely rewarding career where you are able to see the impact that your hard-work has in making London safer for everybody. In addition to the personal satisfaction that you gain, you will receive a competitive salary as well as a number of other benefits.

Whether you're on or off duty, you'll enjoy free travel on London Underground and buses, seven days a week, from the time you have completed your initial police training courses. You can also enter into our rail travel scheme for heavily discounted rail travel up to 70 miles from central London.

Many major high street stores, retail outlets and other national organisations offer discounts and special deals to police officers and many of the Met's sites have subsidised staff restaurants.

You can join our contributory private healthcare scheme and will also benefit from free eye tests and glasses if you regularly use a computer.

You, your family, and friends will be able to access a huge number of subsidised leisure and sporting activities. There are nearly fifty different sports and social associations that you (and in many cases your family) can benefit from joining.

As a full-time Police Constable in the Met you'll have 22 days paid annual holiday, rising to 30 days a year depending on your length of service. This is on top of public holidays and an average of two rest days each week. You can also expect other forms of leave, including maternity, paternity and adoption leave, special leave (with or without pay), parental leave and career breaks of up to five years.

We pride ourselves on being a caring employer and provide a whole range of support initiatives to help with both you and your family's welfare. These include:

• support for employees with caring responsibilities (e.g. flexible working arrangements)
occupational health and welfare counselling (from psychotherapy to financial guidance) resettlement and outplacement support and services
• a subsidised convalescence home
• holiday play schemes to help with your childcare
• a network of 'First Contacts' who you can talk to about anything on a one-to-one basis
• development and mentoring schemes
• membership of the Police Federation
• Staff Support Associations to support and represent your needs and/or beliefs and values.

When you start as a new Police Constable, you'll automatically become a member of the New Police Pension Scheme 2015. This is a CARE (Career Average Revalued Earnings) pension scheme which offers a guaranteed pension with an optional lump sum, based on the earnings you receive during your career. Both you and the Met will contribute, and you will receive tax relief on the contributions you make. If you already have a pension, it may be possible to transfer this into the police scheme.