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Legal & Law Programs ►Criminal Investigation Professional Certificate Program with Externship

Program includes National Certification & an Externship Opportunity

The Criminal Investigation Professional

The Criminal Investigation Professional program provides students the basic competencies involved in investigating crimes, the individuals who commit them, and the victims who endure them. From the legal elements necessary for conviction to the investigation techniques and details required for effective prosecution, criminal investigators understand not only the nuts and bolts of a crime scene, but the legal and ethical implications of their work. Criminal investigators require an firm understanding of the law alongside the research and investigative capability to create and track down various criminal profiles including the psychology of a criminal mind and the difficulties endured by their victims.

The Criminal Investigation Professional Program

Criminal Investigation is more and more being driven by advances in technology, provided the search and seizure techniques and investigative efforts remain within the confines of the Fourth Amendment. Still, as more and more technology is incorporated into criminal investigation efforts, technicians and investigation professionals who understand the nature of these efforts alongside the legal considerations and ramifications are in great demand by law offices, corrections agencies, companies that supply these organizations and beyond. This program offers students the chance to hone their knowledge and skills in the area of criminology, the criminal mind and investigation techniques all with an eye toward criminal justice ethics and the legal system that governs these investigations. Students looking to pursue advanced degrees in criminal justice, perhaps looking toward a career as a criminal law assistant or court clerk would benefit tremendously from this program.

Program Objectives

At the conclusion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Define terms related to and outline the history of criminal investigation
  • Analyze the process of criminal investigation
  • Examine types of criminal offenses
  • Explain the relationship between criminal investigation and the courtroom process
  • Define terms related to the study of crime and the concept of criminology
  • Examine research and data collection methods used in criminology
  • Examine theories and principles of criminology
  • Describe the basic concepts of biological theories of criminal behavior
  • Distinguish between various types of crimes
  • Evaluate methods used to effectively deal with crimes
  • Analyze the relationship between drugs and crime
  • Assess laws and social policies that have been established to address US crime
  • Examine the future of crime
  • Use Microsoft Office

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

  • Define terms related to criminal investigation
  • Outline criminal investigation and English heritage
  • Map criminal investigation in America
  • Review criminal investigation research
  • Identify the objectives of criminal investigation
  • Identify types of investigations
  • Describe the role of the criminal investigator
  • Discuss the role of evidence at the scene
  • Summarize the First Officer's responsibilities
  • Chart the process of preliminary investigations

CRIME SCENE AND CRIME LAB

  • Define terms related to the crime scene
  • Describe the use of field notes
  • Explain the official police report
  • Discuss photographic evidence
  • Identify the function of the crime lab
  • Describe equipment and techniques used in a crime lab

INTELLLIGENCE AND SURVEILLANCE

  • Define terms related to criminal intelligence
  • Define terms related to undercover and surveillance operations
  • Identify types of criminal intelligence
  • Summarize the procedures for criminal intelligence
  • Describe undercover operations
  • Paraphrase the undercover working environment
  • Discuss surveillance operations

SEARCH AND SEIZURE AND MAKING THE ARREST

  • Define terms related to search and seizure
  • Define terms related to making arrests
  • Identify legal guidelines for searches
  • Explain the exclusionary rule
  • Describe types of searches
  • Compare and contrast searches with and without a warrant
  • Analyze the process of searching and collecting evidence
  • Examine evidence handling
  • Examine the process of making an arrest
  • Question the use of force in an arrest

INTERVIEWS, INTERROGATIONS, AND INFORMANTS

  • Define terms related to interviews
  • Define terms related to interrogations
  • Define terms related to informants
  • Differentiate between interviews and interrogations
  • Describe the interview process
  • Summarize the procedure of interrogations
  • Identify types of confessions
  • Paraphrase who informants are
  • Examine the management of informants

WRONGFUL DEATH

  • Define terms related to wrongful death
  • Identify types of wrongful deaths
  • Differentiate between the four modes of death
  • Explain how the victim is identified
  • Describe how time of death is estimated
  • Discuss evidence used in identifying wrongful death

ROBBERY, ASSAULT, AND RELATED OFFENSES

  • Define terms related to robbery
  • Define terms related to assault and related offenses
  • Identify types of robbery
  • Identify types of robbers
  • Describe robbery offenses
  • Differentiate between the legal classifications of assault
  • Summarize domestic violence
  • Paraphrase elder abuse
  • Describe stalking as an assault
  • Outline the process of investigating robberies
  • Outline the process of investigating assaults

SEX OFFENSES, CHILD ABUSE, AND NEGLECT

  • Define terms related to sex offenses
  • Define terms related to child abuse
  • Define terms related to neglect
  • Summarize nuisance sex offenses
  • Summarize forcible rape
  • Describe the profiling of the rapist
  • Classify assaults against children
  • Explain the sexual abuse of children
  • Recognize the child molester
  • Describe the role of the sex-crime investigator
  • Outline the process of investigating rape
  • Show the steps of investigating battered child syndrome
  • Identify guidelines for investigating child homicide
  • Describe children as witnesses
  • Diagram how missing and abducted children are investigated

BURGLARY AND LARCENY-THEFT

  • Define terms related to burglaries
  • Define terms related to larceny-theft
  • Identify types of burglaries
  • Categorize types of burglars
  • Differentiate between robbery and burglary
  • Describe burglaries as a criminal offense
  • Identify types of larceny-theft offenses
  • Discuss larceny-theft offenses
  • Chart the process of investigating burglaries
  • Describe how stolen property is traced
  • Outline how larceny-theft offenses are investigated

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT, ARSON, AND BOMBINGS

  • Define terms related to motor vehicle theft
  • Define terms related to arson
  • Define terms related to bombings
  • Describe motivations for motor vehicle theft
  • Explain how stolen vehicles are disguised
  • Identify elements of arson
  • Discuss bombing as a criminal offense
  • Trace the process of investigating motor vehicle theft
  • Describe how arson is investigated
  • Discuss the investigation of bombings

DRUG OFFENSES AND WHITE-COLLAR CRIME

  • Define terms related to drug offenses
  • Define terms related to white-collar crime
  • Identify the principles of drug abuse
  • Summarize drug laws
  • Differentiate between the types of white-collar crime
  • Analyze the process and ways of investigating drug offenses
  • Examine ways to investigate white-collar crimes

PREPARATION

  • Define terms related to preparation for court
  • Describe pretrial procedures
  • Chart the criminal trial process
  • Discuss witness preparation
  • Analyze the investigator as a professional witness
  • Examine the role of the expert witness

THE PICTURE OF CRIME

  • Define terms related to the theories and principles of criminology
  • List the eight basic assumptions of the classical theory
  • Map the history of classical thought
  • Identify early sources of criminal law
  • Discuss the principles and policy implications of the classical school of thought
  • Review the history of neoclassical thought
  • Describe rational choice theory
  • Describe punishment as it is used within neoclassical criminology

PATTERNS OF CRIME

  • Define terms related to the study of crime
  • Explain how statistics are gathered for major crimes
  • Map the history of crime statistics
  • Identify sources of crime statistics
  • Compare and contrast Part I offenses versus Part II offenses
  • Examine four key demographic factors in the collection of crime data

THEORIES OF CRIMINOLOGY

  • Define terms related to the theories and principles of criminology
  • List the eight basic assumptions of the classical theory
  • Map the history of classical thought
  • Identify early sources of criminal law
  • Discuss the principles and policy implications of the classical school of thought
  • Review the history of neoclassical thought
  • Describe rational choice theory
  • Describe punishment as it is used within neoclassical criminology

BIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF CRIMINAL behavior

  • Define the important terms related to biological theories of criminal behavior
  • Define the basic concept of common biological theories of criminal behavior
  • Identify common biological theories of criminal behavior

PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR

  • Compare and contrast psychological theories of criminal behavior
  • Explain assumptions made by various theories related to criminal behavior
  • Examine policy implications of psychological theories
  • Examine social policy in relation to forensic psychology

THEORIES OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND PROCESS

  • Define terms related to theories of social structure and process
  • List the four major assumptions of sociological theories
  • Identify the three sociological explanations for crime
  • Compare and contrast sociological theories of criminology
  • Examine policy implications of social structure theories
  • Describe dramaturgy
  • Examine policy implications of social process theories

THEORIES OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONFLICT

  • Define terms related to theories of social development and conflict
  • Identify seven developmental tasks of adolescents
  • Describe life course theories
  • Examine policy implications of social development theories
  • Identify three analytical perspectives of social organization
  • Compare and contrast sociological theories of criminology
  • Examine policy implications of social conflict theories

CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS

  • Define terms related to crimes against persons
  • Describe various types of crimes committed against persons
  • Explain the use of crime typologies when it comes to analyzing violent crimes
  • Examine characteristics of crimes committed against others
  • Examine laws established to deal with violent crimes against persons

CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY

  • Define terms related to crimes against property
  • Examine characteristics of crimes against property
  • Compare and contrast the differences and similarities between violent offenders and property offenders

DRUG ABUSE AND CRIME

  • Define eight types of illegal drugs
  • Map the history of drug abuse
  • Describe drug trafficking
  • Examine the relationship between drugs and crime
  • Identify drug control laws
  • Examine legislation that has been established to address the drug abuse in the United States

OTHER TYPES OF CRIME

  • Define terminology of white-collar crime
  • Define DNA technology
  • Identify types of white-collar crime
  • Map history of organized crime
  • Describe activities of organized crime
  • Describe organized criminal groups
  • Identify categories of technology crime
  • Describe the profile of computer criminals
  • Review the prosecution of white-collar crime
  • Review how computer crime is prosecuted
  • Discuss how computers are used as tools in fighting crime
  • Examine laws established to deal with white-collar crime
  • Review technology crime laws
  • Examine policy issues of technology and crime

SOCIAL POLICY AND THE FUTURE

  • Define victim-impact statements
  • Define victim restitution
  • Describe federal anti-crime initiatives
  • Identify crime control strategies
  • Review criminology's impact on social policy
  • Discuss symbolism and public policy
  • Map the history of the victim
  • Describe victims' rights
  • Identify future research directions of crime
  • Describe possible future crimes
  • Explain future criminology theories
  • Examine how future policies will be developed

Note: This program can be completed in 6 months. However, students will have online access to this program for a 24-month period.

Education and National Certifications

  • Students should have or be pursuing a high school diploma or GED.
  • There are no state approval and/or state requirements associated with this program.
  • There is a National Certification exam available to students who successfully complete this program:
    • Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification Exam

National Certification

Upon successful completion of this program, students would be eligible to sit for the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) exam. Although there are no state approval, state registration or other state requirements for this program, students who complete this program will be prepared and are eligible to sit for this national certification exam. Students who complete this program are encouraged to complete the externship option with their program. Students who complete this program can and do sit for the MOS national certification exams and are qualified, eligible and prepared to do so. works with each student to complete the exam application and register the student to take their national certification exam.

Externship / Hands on Training / Practicum

Although not a requirement, once students complete the program, they have the ability to participate in an externship and/or hands on practicum so as to practice the skills necessary to perform the job requirements of a professional in this field. Students will be assisted with completing a resume and/or other requirements necessary to work in this field. All students who complete this program are eligible to participate in an externship and will be placed with a participating organization near their location. works with national organizations and has the ability to place students in externship opportunities nationwide.

Note: No refunds can be issued after the start date published in your Financial Award document.

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