University Training Center of the National Police CUFPN

It was drafted and approved with the participation of the police unions in the working sessions, prior to its presentation to the Police Council, which together with contributions from the various ministries and the Council of Universities have facilitated its processing, while improvements have been introduced that have contributed to the Council of State ' s opinion making it possible to submit it to the Council of Ministers for verification and approval.

The approval of the Statutes of the University Center will allow the signing of the corresponding secondment agreement with the University of Salamanca for the beginning of the Bachelor's Degree in Police Studies during the next academic year, starting a new model of police training.

Autonomous body endowed with legal personality

A budget of four million euros is allocated for the start-up of the University Centre. It has been created as an autonomous body endowed with its own legal personality, economic, financial and managerial autonomy, and full capacity to act for the fulfilment of its purposes.

It will depend on the Ministry of the Interior, through the General Directorate of the Police, and will acquire the status of an affiliated university center, being able to provide studies conducive to obtaining official university degrees.

It will have its main headquarters in the National Police School, in the city of Ávila, although for the development of its activities it will have other headquarters. Its purpose will be to provide the members of the National Police with training corresponding to university studies.

The purpose of the University Centre is to provide teaching leading to the acquisition of official university degrees in the modalities and conditions to be determined, to promote the acquisition of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in the areas of interest of the National Police, and to define and develop lines of research that are considered to be of interest to the National Police, collaborating, when so determined, with other entities and bodies of education and research, public or private.

The Governing Council shall be the highest collegiate body of government, and shall be chaired by the head of the General Directorate of Police. The personnel will be composed of officials of the National Police and personnel attached to the General Directorate of the Police, in accordance with what is established in its statutes. Likewise, it will be possible to hire teaching and research staff for the development of the activity of this nature, which must have the appropriate training. The statutes of the university centre shall be approved within six months of the entry into force of this Act.

Start during the present year

This same year, the National Police University Center will begin its activity with its first academic year in which 400 officers of the National Police will be able to start studying Bachelor’s Degrees, which will allow them to have the appropriate degree to qualify for promotions and develop their professional career within the National Police.

However, in addition to teaching courses leading to official university degrees, it is also planned to promote postgraduate degrees in other areas of interest of the National Police, as well as to develop lines of research that are considered to be of scientific interest by collaborating with other entities and bodies of education and research, public or private.

Through the University Center, studies of University Degree in and Master will be carried out to promote a harmonized and unique professional career, whether it has its origin in internal promotion or in admission by free opposition. Specifically, the University Degree in Police Studies will be studied to qualify the already police officers in their future access to the Subinspection Scale, and the University Master's Degree in Security and Police Function with the objective of training future inspectors in matters of command and in digital skills, cybercrime, and financial crime, as well as sufficient linguistic skills for the promotion of international police activity.

Language Centre

The creation of the National Police Language Centre will make it possible to carry out an extensive training plan in languages for all members of the National Police obtaining, after passing the corresponding courses, an accreditation of the level reached through a Certification valid in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR – CECER: Common European Framework of Reference). It is noteworthy that these certificates are valid for the purposes of accreditation of language skills in the field of the National Police.

Plans of Studies

The curricular network of the University Degree in Police Studies will mark the new Curriculum, both of Police and Officer, since the timely recognition of credits (ECTS) obtained during these stages will be applicable, while according to the current legislation, Degree studies can be accessed from the studies of Superior Technician.  

This initial joint training, police and university, will continue with the incorporation of new training courses for access to higher categories, taught by the Center through the Universities attached to it, through the Postgraduate Course in Management and Digital Transformation –aimed at future chief inspectors– and the Superior Course of Direction and Talent Management oriented to future commissioners. In addition, the Advanced University Course in Senior Management and Strategic Planning will be aimed at future senior commissioners.

This training offer will be complemented by specialised studies, whether they are proposals for specific official degrees such as the case of Scientific Police or the creation of their own studies and courses that add value to the police function.For example, the following would be developed:

• University Master's Degree in Forensic Sciences
• University Master's Degree in Cybersecurity
• University Master's Degree in Financial Research and Criminal Networks.
• Master in International Police Cooperation.
• Master in Human Rights.

In addition, the University Center may be the instrument to promote collaboration and research projects with other administrations, the University and public and private entities, becoming a key element in the development of activities to enhance R+D+I in the field of the National Police.

In short, almost 200 years old, the National Police adopts a university training system that is in itself a value since it becomes an instrument to transmit and update the knowledge and values that underpin police activity in a democratic society.