Prepare for an exciting career in law enforcement and crime prevention. In this two-year diploma program, you will gain a comprehensive education combining professional knowledge with practical skills development. This program prepares you a range of careers in public safety, policing, investigations, security and enforcement services in public and private organizations, and corrections.
Seneca’s Police Foundations program uses hybrid and online delivery across our curriculum to deliver innovative and flexible learning focused on student needs. For the majority of courses, students can choose between online and in-class options to decide a delivery mode that works best for students and their timetables, while also concentrating on the applied and professional skills needed for successful careers in law enforcement and community safety.
Graduates of the Police Foundations program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher are eligible for advanced entry into semester four of Seneca’s Honours Bachelor of Crime and Intelligence Analysis. This provides an opportunity for students to enter and complete the degree within two years (or five semesters and a work term), after completion of the two-year diploma.
Applicants are advised that following graduation from Police Foundations, the selection process from Police Services in Ontario include:
Ontario College Diploma
4 Semesters (Fall start - 24 months, Winter start - 16 months)
January, September
This program is offered online and is also available in Seneca's hybrid delivery format. With hybrid delivery, some coursework is online and some must be completed in person. Students choosing hybrid delivery will need to come on campus to complete in-person learning requirements.
When you graduate from this program, these are the types of career options you can explore:
After successful completion of Security & Crime Prevention, you can apply for a training completion number. It will make you eligible to be tested, at your own expense, for the provincially regulated licence to be a security professional.
| Course Code | Course Name | Weekly Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | ||
| COM101 | Communicating Across Contexts | 3 |
| or COM111 | Communicating Across Contexts (Enriched) | |
| LAW120 | Criminal Law and the Charter | 3 |
| LAW130 | Criminal Justice and Community Services | 3 |
| LAW140 | Interviewing and Communications in Law Enforcement | 3 |
| PFD150 | Career Preparation and Fitness Leadership | 4 |
| PFD180 | Diversity and Indigenous Peoples in Canada | 3 |
| Semester 2 | ||
| LAW220 | Arrest, Search and Use of Force | 3 |
| LAW230 | Criminal Code Offences | 3 |
| LAW240 | Security and Crime Prevention | 3 |
| PFD260 | Crisis Intervention and Defensive Tactics | 3 |
| PFD270 | Criminology and Criminal Behaviour | 3 |
| PSY100 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| Semester 3 | ||
| PFD310 | Forensic Crime Scene Investigation | 3 |
| PFD360 | Youth in Conflict With the Law | 3 |
| PFD370 | Ethical Reasoning in Public Safety | 3 |
| PFD380 | Crime Prevention Through Community Mobilization | 3 |
| PFD390 | Interpersonal Communications and Mental Health Issues | 3 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| PFD410 | Traffic Enforcement Investigations | 3 |
| PFD420 | Provincial and Federal Statutes | 3 |
| PFD445 | Evidence and Interviewing | 3 |
| PFD470 | Career Preparation and Leadership II | 4 |
| PFD480 | Applied Topics: Public Safety | 3 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
Note: The following course will not fulfil a General Education requirement: NAT112 Physiology of Fitness.
This Seneca program has been validated by the Credential Validation Service as an Ontario College Credential as required by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
As a graduate, you will be prepared to reliably demonstrate the ability to:
Canadian citizens and permanent residents may satisfy the English requirements for this program through successful Seneca pre-admission testing.
Recommended upgrading for applicants who do not meet academic subject requirements.
Although not required for admission, completion of a secondary law course is recommended for your success in the program.
A moderate degree of physical fitness is required for the program.
International admissions requirements vary by program and in addition to English requirements, programs may require credits in mathematics, biology, and chemistry at a level equivalent to Ontario’s curriculum, or a postsecondary degree or diploma, equivalent to an Ontario university or college. Program-specific pre-requisite courses and credentials are listed with the admission requirements on each program page. To review the academic requirements please visit: Academic Requirements - Seneca, Toronto, Canada (senecapolytechnic.ca).
As a leader in academic pathways, we offer a range of options that will allow you to take your credential further in another Seneca program or a program at a partner institution.
To learn more about your eligibility, visit the Academic Pathways web page.
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