PCDA
Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship
An apprenticeship route where you earn a full constable salary while studying for a degree in professional policing practice.
Also searched as police constable degree apprenticeship, pcda, police degree apprenticeship. We currently see 4 forces referencing this route, with 2 live adverts we can read directly.
Length
Three years, ending in a degree and confirmation as a constable
Who it's for
Candidates without a degree who want a recognised qualification at the end and are willing to commit to academic study alongside operational duty.
Pay
£33,969 from day one, more with allowances
What you need
- Level 3 qualification (A-levels, BTEC or equivalent)
- GCSE English and maths at grade 4/C or above, in most forces
- Aged 17 to apply, 18 to be appointed
- Right to work in the UK and three years' continuous UK residency
Worth knowing first
- You keep your full salary throughout — the degree costs you nothing
- Roughly 20% of your time is protected study time, which is genuinely demanding
- Leaving early can mean leaving without the qualification
Forces advertising PCDA
Filtered to forces where our last check found this route. Forces whose systems block automated reading won't appear here even if they are recruiting — the full board shows every force with its data source.
54
live vacancies we can read
2
forces with a readable job feed
2
forces confirmed recruiting
Last checked today. We check every force twice a day and show you exactly where each answer came from.
Showing 4 of 43 forces
West Midlands Police
Read from West Midlands Police's own job board, today.
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
Derbyshire Constabulary
Read from Derbyshire Constabulary's careers page today. We can see what they mention, not a vacancy list.
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
Lancashire Constabulary
Read from Lancashire Constabulary's careers page today. We can see what they mention, not a vacancy list.
Starting salary
£33,969
national scale
≈ £2,027/mo take-home
PCDA questions
What is Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship? +
An apprenticeship route where you earn a full constable salary while studying for a degree in professional policing practice.
Who is PCDA for? +
Candidates without a degree who want a recognised qualification at the end and are willing to commit to academic study alongside operational duty.
How long does PCDA take? +
Three years, ending in a degree and confirmation as a constable. You keep your full salary throughout — the degree costs you nothing.
What do you need to apply for PCDA? +
Level 3 qualification (A-levels, BTEC or equivalent). GCSE English and maths at grade 4/C or above, in most forces. Aged 17 to apply, 18 to be appointed. Right to work in the UK and three years' continuous UK residency.
What does PCDA pay? +
PCDA entrants are paid the standard police constable salary — £33,969 a year on the national scale, more in forces that pay a London or South East allowance. That is roughly £2,027 a month after tax, National Insurance and the police pension contribution.
Compare the other routes
PCEP
Around two years to confirmation as a constable
DHEP
Two years to confirmation as a constable
Detective
Two years to substantive detective constable, in most schemes
Transferee
Typically three to six months from application to start date
Rejoiner
Often faster than initial entry — a shortened conversion rather than a full programme
Specials
Ongoing, with a minimum commitment of around 16 hours a month
PCSO
Permanent role with an initial training period of a few months
Staff
Permanent and fixed-term contracts