Police Officer Recruitment

To be considered for employment as a police cadet or police officer, the following requirements must be met:

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Must be at least 21 years of age by the date of commissioning
• Must have a valid Texas driver license and eligible to drive state vehicles
• Must not have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor offense above the grade of a Class C within the last five years
• Must have obtained a high school diploma or GED

Applicants must complete and pass the following to be considered for police employment:

• Physical exam
• Written exam
• Preliminary interview
• Background investigation
• Drug screening
• Psychological exam
• Physical exam
• Polygraph exam
• Final oral board

Requirements are updated often. Refer to UT System’s Qualifying Cadets for Employment for the most recent list.

• The applicant must reach his/her 21st birthday on or before the date of commissioning.
• The applicant must have a high school diploma or have passed a General Educational Development (GED).
• The applicant must be fingerprinted and subjected to a search of local, state and national records, and fingerprint files to disclose any criminal record.
• The applicant must be a citizen of the United States.
• The applicant must have not been discharged from any military service under less than honorable conditions, including, specifically:
  • Under other than honorable conditions
  • Bad conduct
  • Dishonorable
  • Any other characterization of service indicating bad character
• If applicable, the applicant must have registered for the Selective Service.
• The applicant must meet the following physical requirements:
  • Vision
    • Visual Acuity: Maximum uncorrected visual acuity of 20/200 and corrected or correctable to 20/30.
    • Other Visual Factors: An applicant may be rejected for color deficiencies as determined by the director of police after examination by an approved ophthalmologist.
  • Hearing
    • The applicant must be able to hear ordinary conversation from at least 15 feet.
  • General Health
    • The applicant must obtain a physician's statement of release, pass the physical agility test and be capable of performing all police duties specified in the current job description.
  • The applicant must successfully pass a written entry-level examination approved by the director of police. This examination does not apply to applicants for the position of police officer.
  • The applicant must satisfactorily meet the requirements of a thorough, comprehensive background investigation conducted by the institution's police department.
  • The applicant must be of good moral character and reputation.
  • The applicant must have a satisfactory prior employment record.
  • The applicant must successfully complete an oral board interview.
  • The applicant must successfully complete and pass a polygraph examination commissioned and/or conducted by the institution's police department.
  • The applicant must possess a valid driver's license issued by the state where the applicant permanently resides, not be in jeopardy of license suspension, and provide proof of financial responsibility pursuant to the Texas Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act.
  • The applicant must be eligible to drive a university vehicle in accordance with University of Texas System Policy UTS157.
  • The applicant must be examined by a physician, selected by the institution police department, who is licensed by the Texas Medical Board. The physician must be familiar with the police duties specified in the job description. To fulfill this requirement, the applicant must be declared in writing by that physician:
    • To be physically sound and free from any defect that may adversely affect the applicant's performance of duty as a peace officer;
    • To show no trace of drug dependency or illegal drug use after a physical examination, blood test or other medical test; and
    • To meet the vision and hearing requirements listed in Subsection V.B.7. If the physician is unable to approve the vision and hearing requirements, another Texas-licensed physician who specializes in vision or hearing may be used.
  • The applicant must be examined by a psychiatrist or psychologist, selected by the institution police department. If the examiner is a psychologist, he/she must be licensed by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists. The psychiatrist or psychologist must be familiar with the police duties specified in the job description, must conduct the examination pursuant to professionally-recognized standards and methods, and must declare in writing that the applicant is m satisfactory psychological and emotional health to be a peace officer.
  • The applicant must agree to swear or affirm to preserve, protect and defend the Constitutions and laws of the United States and the State of Texas to the best of his/her ability.

Requirements are updated often. Refer to UT System’s Qualifying Cadets for Employment for the most recent list.

An applicant who falls into any of the following categories is ineligible to be licensed and must be removed from further consideration:

• Persons who have been or are currently on court-ordered community supervision or probation for any criminal offense above the grade of a Class B misdemeanor or a Class B misdemeanor within the last 10 years from the date of the court order.
• Persons who are currently charged with or under indictment for any criminal offense for which conviction would be a bar to licensure.
• Persons who have been convicted of an offense above the grade of a Class B misdemeanor or a Class B misdemeanor in the last 10 years.
• Persons who have been convicted of any family violence offense.
• Persons who are prohibited by state or federal law from operating a motor vehicle.
• Persons who are prohibited by state or federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
• Persons who have had a TCOLE license denied by final order or revoked; is currently on suspension; have a voluntary surrender of a TCOLE license currently in effect; or have violated any TCOLE rules or provisions of the Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1701.

An applicant who falls into any of the following categories will not be commissioned by the UT System Police and must be removed from further consideration:

• Persons who have:
  • Used marijuana any time in the 36 months preceding the date of application;
  • Regularly used marijuana during the five years preceding the date of application; or
  • Persons who have used any of the drugs listed in 1-6 of this section at any time while serving as a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, security officer or fire fighter/EMT.
• Persons who used paint, glue or other inhalants for the purpose of intoxication within the last five years.
• Persons who used hallucinogenic drugs, including, but not limited to, LSD, PCP or Psilocybin within the past five years.
• Persons who abused prescription medicines, whether prescribed to them or another person, in the last five years.
• Persons who used anabolic steroids for any reason other than the treatment of a medical condition, and as authorized by and under the direction of a licensed physician, within the last five years.
• Persons who illegally used any other substances or drugs listed in the federal or Texas Controlled Substances Acts, including, but not limited to: amphetamines, methamphetamines, cocaine, opium, barbiturates, heroin, morphine, ecstasy and Eve within the past five years.
• Persons who illegally sold, produced, cultivated or transported for sale marijuana or any other substances or drugs listed in the Federal or Texas Controlled Substances Acts.
• Persons who have been terminated, asked to resign, or resigned from any previous employment for engaging in inappropriate or unlawful behavior, including, but not limited to, any of the following:
  • Any felony offense;
  • Sex crimes;
  • Sexual harassment;
  • Discriminatory or retaliatory acts; or
  • Any offense involving acts of moral turpitude
• Applicants who do not complete and satisfactorily meet the applicant selection process requirements: Among other duties, the process requires applicants to submit documentation such as the personal history questionnaire and other documents on or before the designated date, report to appointments and examinations on the scheduled dates and times, properly notify the institution police department of address and/or telephone number changes, and comply with the directions and instructions of the background investigator.
• Applicants who do not demonstrate maturity, dependability, integrity, and good work ethic in their past and present employment. An applicant's employment history since age 18 must not indicate instability in the applicant's employment history, including excessive tardiness or absenteeism; inefficiency; failure to follow directions, policies, procedures, rules and regulations; poor working relationships; or negligent work habits.
• Applicants with an unstable credit history. This includes a consistent history of issuing insufficient funds checks, a history of delinquent payments, or a failure to meet financial obligations. An applicant's credit history will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine his/her continuing eligibility in the hiring process.
• Applicants who have made false/deceptive statements. Applicants must be truthful and honest in their responses to all inquiries relative to their suitability for employment with the institution police department. Applicants found to have withheld material information, and/or to have committed or attempted to commit any deception or fraud in their applications, examinations or appointments are deemed unsuitable.

Reference:  Office of the Director of Police; The University of Texas System: Policy and Procedure Manual #401: Applicant Selection Process for Employment as a Police Officer or Police Cadet