What Colleges Have Private-Investigator Training?
Private investigators. The title calls up images of old movie detectives shooting it out with bad guys and saving ladies in distress. But there is much more to this job. Private investigators are professionals who work to find or protect information for their clients. Some colleges have programs dedicated to careers in private investigation or a closely related field.
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Fox Valley Technical College
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FVTC in Wisconsin has an on-line program that leads to a private Investigator certificate. The certificate requires 17 units of college level courses. The classes cover the basic skills required of private investigators. For example, "Criminal Investigation Theory" introduces rules of evidence, recording information and modus operandi of criminals. "Introduction to Private Investigations" studies the particulars of private sector investigation such as researching open records, background checks and surveillance.
Penn Foster Career School
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Penn Foster in Pennsylvania offers an online career diploma (credential) in private investigation. Instead of college units, the program is broken down into eight instruction sets. The first set outlines strategies for on-line learning and job opportunities in investigation. The second covers the basics of the legal system, communication skills and the basics of running an investigation business.
The third set is more advanced with the classification and uses of public resources, ways to use the personal computer in investigation, and basic report writing. Instruction set four covers locating individuals, observation and surveillance. Rules of evidence and court procedures are covered in the fifth set. Set six talks about conducting undercover investigations, corporate intelligence and espionage and the relationship of private investigators to homeland security.
The seventh set covers interviewing techniques, handwriting and fingerprint analysis, and firearms. Finally, the eighth set covers protecting individuals, retail security and how to market yourself as a investigator.
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California State University, Fullerton
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Cal State Fullerton offers a program that prepares students to pass examinations for certified public accountants, certified fraud examiners and certified valuation analysts. These are valuable skill sets for private investigators, particularly those working in corporate espionage. CPAs can analyze the finances of a company for inconsistencies. Fraud examiners find evidence of financial wrongdoing, either by individuals or companies. Finally, valuation analysts determine the value of business or personal assets, a skill needed for litigation and divorce.
West Virginia University
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WVU has a program in financial fraud that covers cyber-crime, terrorist financing and fraud schemes. These skills come in handy with investigators who have to work with law enforcement or who wish to transfer to law enforcement in the future.
Community College of Philadelphia
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CCP has an associate degree program in computer forensics. In addition to general education requirements, the classes cover media retrieval, hacking investigation, court procedures and rules of evidence. Again, this degree program has the advantage of preparing students for both private investigation and law enforcement work.
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Colin Brown
