Eligibility requirements to attend all full-time police academies

At a minimum, all applicants must meet the requirements below for consideration to attend an MPTC or MPTC authorized Full-time police academy.

Minimum requirements for all student officers 

Minimum age requirement is 21 years of age (See 550 CMR 3.06: Recruit Training Enrollment of the MPTC CMRs Regulating Training)
Employed or sponsored by a municipal, Environmental, or University of Massachusetts police department
Comprehensive Medical Exam
Physical Ability Test (PAT)
Full medical coverage for the duration of the police academy
Cruiser for one-week of Defensive Driving - If your sponsoring department will not provide a cruiser, you are required to have made arrangements previous to submitting your application.

What you should know

• How to register: 
  Registration at MPTC-operated police academies: Follow this registration process

  Registration at MPTC-authorized full-time police academies - please contact the authorized police academy directly for their application process.

• View MPTC OPERATED AND AUTHORIZED COVID-19 VACCINATION ACADEMY POLICY
• Sponsorship:  In order for you to attend a police academy, you must be hired or sponsored by a chief of police in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. You must obtain this sponsorship yourself if you are not hired. We do not make recommendations.
• Employment: If you are not hired, sponsorship does not guarantee employment with the sponsoring department or any other agency. (See 550 CMR 3.03 (3) of the MPTC CMRs Regulating Training)
• Comprehensive Medical Exam: The Municipal Police Training Committee’s policy requires the student officer's comprehensive medical exam must be valid (unexpired) on the start date of an academy.
• Physical Ability Test (PAT): Must be valid (unexpired) on the start date of an academy.
• Entry-Level Fitness Standards: Effective September 1, 2019, all students entering any MPTC-authorized or hosted full-time recruit academy will be required to pass an MPTC fitness test comprised of four (4) events. Download the Full-time Recruit Academy (ROC) Entry-Level Fitness Standards .
• Health Insurance:  You are required to have full medical coverage starting the first day. It will be the responsibility of the sponsoring chief to verify insurance coverage as verified in the MPTC application.
• Tuition: Tuition is $3,200.00 per student officer, due seven (7) days prior to the start of an MPTC police academy.
• Firearms: Firearms and ammunition are not included in tuition.
• Required Equipment: Tuition does not include required equipment and gear listed on the MPTC Standard Equipment List.
• Dormitories: Police academies operate weekdays Monday through Friday. The State Police Municipal Academy (SMPA) in New Braintree is the only police academy with a dormitory option available to student officers when in session.