The first Bachelor of Arts degress to be awarded at the Garda College in Templemore, Co Tipperary, were conferred yesterday on 18 senior-ranking gardai.
Presenting the degrees in police management, Assistant Commissioner Mr Fachtna Murphy said the course was designed to build on the experience of senior officers and increase strategic management practices in the force.
He said the Garda, as part of the public sector, must provide "effective and efficient management" by enhancing the professional development and managerial capabilities of Garda officers.
Deputy Commissioner Mr Peter Fitzgerald graduated with first-class honours, as did Assistant Commissioners Mr Kevin Carty and Mr Eamonn Keating. Prof Ciaran Murphy, chairman of the National Council for Education Awards which approves the course, described the conferral as a historic day that set a new standard for the force.