Becoming a Police Detective: How to become a Police Detective

This exciting career involves a range of duties, and job applicants must be organized, critical thinkers who undergo academic and practical training. To become a police detective, you need to have some college background, preferably a four-year degree. If you are accepted into a program, you will most likely need to participate in academy training if you haven’t already received related training.

Top Schools Offering Police Detective Degree Programs:

The links below will allow you to request free enrollment information directly from top national schools that offer a Police Detective degree program:

1.
University of Phoenix - The most widely recognized online criminal justice college in the world, UofP offers accredited criminal justice degrees for almost every career goal.
2.
Capella University - Capella University Online’s top ranked criminal justice job placement stats make it a top choice for career-oriented criminal justice students.
3.
Kaplan University - The wide variety of criminal justice courses and flexible time schedules make Kaplan University a top rated criminal justice school for working adults needing a flexible learning schedule.


Degree Requirements to become a Police Detective:

Because detectives have more responsibilities than regular police officers, they need to meet higher educational standards. A college degree in an area like criminal justice, criminal law or psychology are especially useful. These degrees cover topics that police detectives encounter in the real world, including racial prejudices, juvenile justice, criminal behavior, the Constitution and others.

Duties of a Police Detective: What are the duties / traits of a successful Police Detective?

Police detectives have exciting careers and are dedicated to protecting their communities. Detectives investigate crimes, interview suspects and witnesses, conduct arrests, work with other law enforcement professionals and lawyers and manage evidence. Paperwork is another big part of the job, and most police detectives are assigned a specialized unit that focuses on one type of crime.

Police Detective Salary: How much does a Police Detective make?

On average, police detectives can earn around $54,000. That range extends to about $32,000 on the low end and up to $86,000 on the high end.