This is an
on line delivery Certificate
Click here for Required Courses and Descriptions
General Information
This 17-credit academic certificate prepares the layperson for
private investigation state licensing and employment in the professional Private
Investigation world. All course content is generic and applicable to private
investigations in all states. The Criminal Law National course is customized to reflect
the specific state or territory laws of the student's residence. Students should check with their
state/provincial licensing agency to determine the licensing requirements for their residence location.
All courses are offered online and can be completed
24/7. Courses are conducted on an 16-week semester basis. Early registration is encouraged as classes
do fill up quickly. 16 week semesters start every August
and January. Please refer to the 'Click Here' link above for information on course descriptions and start dates.
Courses and Enrollment
Click on the hotlink at the top of the page to view the required courses and program number for application purposes.
Register for classes by clicking on the same hotlink above.
Hover over the course numbers and names for course descriptions and prerequisites.
Enroll in the Certificate by clicking on the 'Get Started' tab at the top of this page.
Academic Level
All of the PI Certificate courses are formal college level
classes and require considerable homework. Students can expect to devote
at least 2-3 hours a week per course for the 16-week semester classes and more
in any eight week general education summer classes.
Employment
Employment opportunities as a Private Investigator fall into two categories; full
time and part time. Those students who desire full time employment in this
field are advised that such positions are generally available in
larger cites throughout the U.S. Employment with an existing PI agency is suggested for the broadest level
of experience and greatest degree of success. These firms are usually found
through the Yellow Pages or through an Internet search. Additional
full time and part time opportunities exist with many legal firms who hire PIs
for client defense investigations.
Regular
part time employment is typically home based. This allows the PI to conduct local
and Internet related investigations. However, involved service requests are more difficult to
complete on a part time basis. Local attorneys may
be a good option for part time work.
TextbooksAll textbooks for the Private Investigation Certificate are purchased and shipped, if needed, through the
FVTC Campus Bookstore. You can contact them at 1-800-735-3882 x4732 or at campus_store. You will
need to tell them the name of the individual course(s) and the five digit class
section number that you used to register for the class. This
information is on your registration/tuition invoice form that was mailed to you after
registration.
Tuition
Tuition costs for this online certificate are charged at in-state tuition for all 50 states providing students enroll in Internet courses. Current tuition rates can be found in
the Quick Links in the right margin of this screen.
Further Information
Email Christopher Farrell