Certification

• Certification for law enforcement generally involves taking an accredited law enforcement course, the completion of coursework and the passing of a written exam. You may be required to complete a period of relevant work experience before qualifying to take the written exam.
  
  

Example

• The Valencia Community College's Criminal Justice institute has a Basic Correctional Officer Academy that gets students prepared for entry-level jobs as correctional officers. It also prepares them to take the state exam to become certified. The institution also has a crossover academy where correctional officers can study to become law enforcement officers.
  
  

Considerations

• According to the "US News" University Directory website, in some states a degree is not required to enter law enforcement; however, an undergraduate certificate can give you the advantage over other people who apply to police academies. If you would like to work in a state where officers are required to have a degree in law enforcement, a graduate-level certificate may help you achieve your goal.