SPSC Curriculum

The School of Police Staff and Command (SPSC) is an intensive program intended for mid- and upper-level supervisory personnel. Participating students should have at least two years of supervisory experience.

Through an innovative combination of academic principles with practical applications, the SPSC curriculum focuses on areas critical to successful senior law enforcement leadership and management. In addition to lectures, we have designed this program so class members also have an opportunity to learn from one another’s experiences.  

Participants should be prepared to complete university course work. This means that they are able to:

  • Write an annotated research paper. All students are required to write an objective, well-documented staff study that addresses a problem or issue currently affecting their organizations.
  • Perform arithmetic operations and understand elementary algebraic notation
  • Read, comprehend, and retain assigned materials based on textbooks, professional journals, trade magazines, and other sources
  • Schedule time to complete out-of-class reading and writing assignments

Students who enroll in our 10-week on-ground course should be released from their regular job responsibilities to ensure that they have sufficient time to attend class and complete homework assignments. 

Whether you enroll in our on-ground or online program, the SPSC curriculum remains the same and covers the following areas:

  • Budgeting
  • Contemporary Policing
  • Decision Making & Problem Solving
  • Employee Relations
  • Evaluating Products & Services
  • Executive Image
  • Grant Writing
  • Human Resources
  • Leadership & Management
  • Media Relations
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Planning & Policies
  • Project Management
  • Resource Allocation
  • Statistics
  • Traffic

 

Choose On-Ground or Online

Prospective students can select an on-ground or online experience. The curriculum is the same no matter which format a student chooses.

SPSC On-Ground

SPSC on-ground

Those who register for SPSC On-Ground will be in the classroom for a total of 10 weeks. To ensure that students have sufficient time to attend class and complete out-of-class reading and writing assignments, they should be released from normal job responsibilities during the course. 

Different course locations may offer schedule variations, with weeks off for holidays or between units. Specific weekly schedules are posted on the registration page for each individual SPSC class. 

Select a SPSC Location & Register

SPSC Online

SPSC Online

SPSC Online (SPSCO) provides students with the same curriculum as our on-ground SPSC program but with the added benefits of a longer time frame, being able to remain on the job while completing the course, and the convenience of studying and participating from home, office, or wherever else life takes you.

SPSCO is asynchronous, meaning that there are no specific times at which students must login to the course site; however, consistent participation is expected and students must complete course assignments by set due dates. SPSC Online students should expect to dedicate 20 to 30 hours per week on this course and receive course deadlines and participation requirements to maintain each week. Click here to learn more about NUCPS Online Learning.

Register for SPSC Online 

 

 

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