The Basic Law Enforcement Certificate program provides students with the necessary skills, standards, and knowledge in order to become qualified, proficiency trained, ethical and competent peace officers in criminal justice careers. Successful graduation from the program certifies the graduate as a Georgia Peace Officer by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (P.O.S.T.). Costs for this certification are included in the program costs.
Training takes place at Crossroads Campus (190 Crossroads Parkway, 31407). Cohorts meet for 22 weeks, Mondays – Thursdays, 7AM-5PM; Fridays, 7AM-Noon.
Upcoming cohorts:
- Fall 2024: September 9 – December 6, 2024
- Spring 2025: January 24 – July 11, 2025
HOPE CAREER GRANT FUNDING
Students that qualify for HOPE Grant and are enrolled in this program, may be eligible to receive funding. If the entire 26 credit hour certificate is offered in one semester, the student receives $3,750. If the certificate is offered across two semesters, the $3,750 is prorated based upon the % of credit hours offered in each certificate.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
State officers such as the Georgia State Patrol, deputy sheriffs, county police, municipal police, and campus police are a few examples of peace officers. Peace officers maintain order and protect life and property by enforcing local, tribal, state, or federal laws and ordinances. Peace officers may perform a combination of the following duties: patrol a specific area, direct traffic, issue traffic summonses, investigate accidents, apprehend and arrest suspects, or serve legal processes of courts.
This program offers a first step in law enforcement. Select courses in the Basic Law Enforcement Certificate program transfer towards an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Criminal Justice. Many agencies pay all or part of the tuition for officers to work toward degrees in criminal justice, police science, administration of justice, or public administration and pay higher salaries to those who earn one of those degrees.