Diploma in Police Foundations is a diploma in Fire, Justice & Security programme taught at Sheridan College in Oakville, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 19,822 per year (CAD 4,864 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Fire, Justice & Security
Duration: 2 years
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 4,864 / year
International tuition: CAD 19,822 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Prepare for a career in law enforcement or security.Program OverviewPrepare for the modern world of policingThe Internet, terrorism threats and changing laws require a modern approach to policing. Sheridan’s Police Foundations program gets you ready for it, including through virtual reality and scenario-based training. You'll learn: Canadian law Police policy/procedures and legislation Police fitness Investigation and interviewing skills Conflict resolution and empathy Forensic crime scene analysis Get a strong foundation in law enforcementPolice services have strict hiring standards. At Sheridan, you’ll take physical fitness and other seminar courses to prepare you for these requirements. You’ll also learn current legislation, and how police promote and maintain safety. If you want to become a police officer or want a security-related career, this program prepares you for the next steps.Launch your security careerTo become a security guard in Ontario, you must be licensed. To get a security license, you must pass a course from a Ministry-approved institution and write an exam. Sheridan is an approved institution. This means you can write the exam after you complete this program without taking any extra courses.Get work experienceWe’ve built strong relationships with police and community organizations, which approach us with volunteer opportunities for our students. This gives you the chance to build your resume and get work experience. You could mentor at-risk youth, provide event security, or participate in an internship at the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).Learn from industry professionalsOur professors have a wealth of policing experience, including: Patrol Major crime investigations Tactical response Hostage negotiations Senior police management Forensics By-law enforcement Community outreach Note: Police services have minimum hiring requirements. If you want a career in policing, please check the hiring standards from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services before you enter this program.Explore your future labsIn Police Foundations at Sheridan, you'll work in labs and classrooms designed to imitate work environments in the real world. Curious to see what they look like? Take a virtual tour of the Fitness and Defensive Tactics Room you'll use as a student in this program.PPOLF
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Academic (Ontario basis): an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or accepted equivalent carrying one Grade 12 English (ENG4C or ENG4U). Applicants aged 19 or over who are short a requirement may apply as mature students, and may be asked to sit Sheridan's English, math or science tests or to take free preparatory courses through Academic Upgrading. Eligible applicants are ranked on the average of their six highest senior-level credits, the required courses included. An international applicant must present the equivalent of these Ontario courses from their own school system, and a credential assessment may be requested; a domestic applicant schooled outside Canada has transcripts assessed through ICAS or WES. English, where English is not your first language or your earlier study was in another language: Sheridan's certificate and diploma band - IELTS Academic 6.0 with no band under 5.5, TOEFL iBT 80 with nothing under 20 (or 4.0 with no section under 4.0 on the scale used from 2026), PTE Academic 58 with no section under 49, Duolingo 105 with no subscore under 85, CAEL 60 with no section under 50; a result must be no more than 24 months old on the first day of class. Grade 12 mathematics is recommended, though not an admission requirement. Sheridan asks applicants to weigh the physical demands, since fitness and defensive tactics training run through the curriculum, and warns that a criminal record can make program-related employment harder to find after graduation. The September start runs two academic years; the January start runs 16 months continuously.
Application Details
Start Date:Sheridan runs three terms a year - Fall starting in September, Winter in January and Spring/Summer in May. For 2026-27 the Fall term ran 8 September to 18 December 2026, Winter runs 6 January to 16 April 2027, and Spring/Summer runs 3 May to 13 August 2027. On 6 September 2026 this program's own page listed intakes in September 2026 and January 2027 at the Davis Campus in Brampton. Sheridan notes the September start runs two academic years while the January start runs 16 months continuously. Sheridan's Start date table also carries a separate Domestic and International status for each intake (Available, Waitlisted or Closed) that changes as seats fill, so check this program's page on sheridancollege.ca before you apply.
Application Deadline:Sheridan publishes no deadline of its own for this program; the dates below are the college-wide ones. DOMESTIC APPLICANTS (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) apply through ontariocolleges.ca, which opened the Fall 2027 application on 26 September 2026 - Sheridan says it starts receiving those applications in early October for the academic year that follows. The equal consideration date is 1 February: apply on or before it and your file is weighed alongside every other one received by then for a Fall-term start, so for the cycle now open that means 1 February 2027 for entry in September 2027. Sheridan still accepts applications after that date wherever a program has not filled, but they are handled in the order they arrive, which leaves little room in high-demand programs. First offers for a September start may go out from 1 November; programs that require a portfolio, audition or resume begin issuing decisions later in March, and offers for the Winter and Spring/Summer intakes are made on a rolling basis. Confirm a Fall offer at ontariocolleges.ca by 1 May, or by the date printed on an offer issued after that, then pay the tuition deposit three months before the term begins. INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS apply instead through Sheridan's own International Application Portal, and Sheridan publishes no deadline for them - its Important Dates table carries only a note that the international dates are still to be posted. What limits an international application in practice is space: Sheridan tells international applicants to check that a program still has room before applying, and every program page shows a separate International status for each intake. Apply as early as you can and leave time for a study permit. Confirm the current dates at sheridancollege.ca and ontariocolleges.ca before you apply.
