I am currently pursuing a BA degree in Criminology, Law, and Society at the University of California, Irvine. Upon my graduation, I plan to apply for the police department; however, I have some questions in regards to application and hiring process. These are my questions:

Do police departments require a police academy training prior to applying at the agency or will they send the individual to an academy of its choice if that individual passes the preliminary background, civil written, and physical tests?

Will my BA degree and Vietnamese as a second language assist in obtaining a better chance for me to get hired?

I am 5'6ft in height and 139lbs in weight, will my body type disqualify me from being considered (I am quite frankly short)?

What does it mean to be on probation for the first months after the academy?

How can I prepare for the written test?

I do wear to glasses/contacts to correct my vision. Will this be detrimental to the hiring process?

I do not have any charges or felony on my record, so with these descriptions above, will my application be sufficient for consideration?

I'm sorry for the length of this post, but truthfully, I am really putting a lot of faith and hope in this career. Thank you for your time.

Most larger police departments do not require applicants to have already graduated from a police academy. Most larger police departments will send you to their academy if they hire you. Visit the websites of the police departments that you are interested in. You can usually find out about a department's minimum requirements from their website.

Having a four year degree will definitely give you a better chance of getting hired as opposed to not having a degree. Being fluent in a second language is also a big plus.

Your height and weight seem to be proportionate, and would not prevent you from being hired.

There are several police officer exam study guides commercially available. Most of them are beneficial.

Vision requirements often vary from department to department. Having at least 20/20 corrected vision is often most important. You can also usually find a department's vision requirements on their website. If you can't, you can call the department, and ask to speak with someone that can answer your question.

Based upon what you wrote, you seem like you will be a good candidate. Good luck!

You sound like you are good to go!

You seem like a great candidate! Stay focused