The first academic year is held decentrally at the federal level and in the federal states - with the exception of the one-month introductory phase, which since 2016 has taken place at DHPol. Students spend the second year of their studies centrally at DHPol in Münster.
The study is divided into 16 modules and two optional compulsory modules. Of these, seven are taught in the decentralised study phase at the federal and state levels, seven exclusively in the central study phase at DHPol and four both in the first and second study year.