Law Enforcement Management & Leadership Education
NUCPS Management & Leadership Education courses offer preeminent leadership training for law enforcement professionals in either an on-ground or online setting. Students who successfully complete all three core management courses (Supervision of Police Personnel, School of Police Staff & Command, and the Executive Management Program) are eligible to apply for the NUCPS Executive Leadership Award.
Search All Upcoming Management Courses, Dates & Locations
School of Police Staff & Command
Online or On-Ground
On-Ground Tuition: see specific class | Online Tuition: $4,000
Prerequisites: 2 years of supervisory experience; completion of Supervision of Police Personnel highly recommended.
Northwestern University credit: 6 units of credit under the Northwestern University quarter system.
SPSC is an intensive police management and leadership program that helps prepare mid- and upper-level personnel for senior command positions. Whether on-ground or online, SPSC combines academic principles with practical applications and focuses on a range of critical leadership and management areas, including planning and policies, media relations, organizational behavior, budgeting and resource allocation, human resources, contemporary policing, and more. Our expert instructors not only teach the important topics, concepts, and strategies necessary for leadership and managerial success — but also discuss how to effectively implement these strategies, apply the concepts, and lead situations where the problems are real and agency performance outcomes are critical.
Fellow students are experienced public safety professionals, and course activities are designed to allow for class members to learn from one another’s experiences, to build relationships, and to develop networks that will last long after the course has ended.
SPSC is not appropriate for entry-level officers, deputies, or troopers. We recommend Supervision of Police Personnel for those recently appointed to their first supervisory position.
Note: SPSC On-Ground totals 10 weeks of class time. Be sure to click on your preferred course location to view the detailed schedule. To ensure that you have sufficient time to attend class and complete out-of-class assignments, you should be released from normal job responsibilities during the course.
ON-GROUND SPSC: VIEW DETAILS - SELECT AN UPCOMING SECTION - REGISTER!
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 convenience of studying and participating from home, office, library, coffee shop, or anywhere else with a WiFi connection.
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.
ONLINE SPSC: SELECT A COURSE DATE, LEARN MORE, AND REGISTER
Supervision of Police Personnel
Online or On-Ground
On-Ground or Online Tuition: $1,000 | Prerequisites: None
University Credit (On-Ground): 1 unit of credit under the Northwestern University quarter system
Whether online or on-ground, SPP offers strong foundations for supervisory and managerial skills that will benefit new law enforcement supervisors throughout their careers. SPP is designed to teach first-line supervisors how to manage contemporary leadership challenges. The curriculum focuses on understanding human behavior and day-to-day work relationships with subordinates, superiors, and the public. Designed for officers with little or no formal supervisory training, SPP covers such critical topics as leadership and motivational principles, communication techniques, ethics and professionalism, diversity, planning, decision making, community skills, performance appraisals, employee discipline, and more.
SPP On-Ground is a two-week course and is offered in different locations throughout the calendar year.
Select a SPP On-Ground Location or Date & Register!
SPP Online (SPPO) offers the same course objectives and covers the same topics as SPP On-Ground. However, due to the online environment, activities and assignments may vary from the on-ground course. Students who successfully complete this course gain the same knowledge as their SPP On-Ground counterparts. SPPO is facilitated by the same instructors who teach SPP On-Ground.
Online Learning Type: Asynchronous. Note: Students must complete course assignments by set due dates. Regular contribution to weekly course discussions is also essential to successful course completion. Click here to learn more about NUCPS Online Learning.
Select a SPP Online Section & Register
First Line Supervision
Tuition: $525 | Prerequisites: None
This 40-hour (one-week) course prepares officers for successful transitions to supervisors by providing them with the essential skills needed for success in managerial and supervisory positions. This one-week course focuses on understanding human behavior and day-to-day work relationships with subordinates, superiors, and the public. Participants learn how to overcome leadership challenges and effectively motivate, evaluate, and discipline employees.
Register Now for an Upcoming Section
Executive Courses
Executive Management Program
Tuition: see specific class | Prerequisites: Participation is limited to senior-level command or experienced mid-level law enforcement managers.
Join chiefs, deputy chiefs, and other senior command officers and mid-level public safety managers from throughout the US and around the globe for three weeks of intensive examination of law enforcement trends and to workshop the critical issues shaping law enforcement today.
Under the leadership of respected and experienced NUCPS instructors, participants gain tools and knowledge for proactively responding to dynamic public safety environments. Among the many current topics that participants study and discuss are Organizational Policies, Ethics & Legal Updates, Officer Assessment & Promotion, Discipline & Accountability, Recruitment & Retention, Media Relations, Critical Incident Command, Leading in Politically Charged Environments, and more.
Find an EMP Section & Register!
Deploying Procedural Justice & Police Legitimacy Strategies Webinar
Tuition: $450 | Prerequisites: None
Certificate Course! Join NUCPS for a research-backed lunchtime webinar and lively discussions led by police-community experts. Recent research has produced evidence identifying best practices in policing and providing a framework to achieve the full quality of community life potential. In this seminar, we examine three key markers on the roadmap to achieving reductions in major crime victimization, reductions in lethal use of force, elimination of biases, officer in-line-of-duty homicides, and increased harmonious police-community relations.
- First, webinar participants focus on the relationship between procedural justice and police legitimacy.
- Second, we examine the most recent “real time” research that has shown the success of deploying police strategies centered on Procedural Justice and Police Legitimacy.
- Third, we identify where and how to begin deploying strategies that are procedurally just and encourage police legitimacy.
Presented by Dr. William P. McCarthy and Robert E. Boehmer, Esq.
New course dates to be released soon.
