Law Enforcement (Certificate)

Developed in cooperation with the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, the Law Enforcement (LE) Certificate program prepares students for a career in Law Enforcement. The LE certificate concept has been ratified by the MCOPA Training and Education Committee as an important step in their goal to have a better educated and more professional workforce in the Commonwealth. Although the certificate is not yet a requirement in the hiring and training procedures, it is clearly anticipated that it will substitute for a significant part of the Massachusetts Training Council curriculum in the near future.

The certificate combines specialized criminal justice and general education coursework to provide students with knowledge and skills they need to compete for entry in the Massachusetts law enforcement field and to promote their abilities for career advancement. The rationale is to provide courses which will enhance competencies in communications (written and oral), interpersonal skill building and understanding of multicultural issues necessary for working with diverse populations, critical thinking, and reasoning in the law enforcement discipline.

The curriculum emphasizes both an academic and practical approach on constitutional processes, substantive criminal law, application of appropriate criminal investigation techniques, identification of crime typologies and offender profiles, and ethical practices and standards in the legal issues facing law enforcement practitioners. All of the credits earned in the certificate program can be applied to an associate degree in Criminal Justice which may result in more significant job opportunities, promotions and career advancement, and increased compensation (for Massachusetts police officers who qualify for the benefit, the BCC Criminal Justice program is approved as a PCIPP: Police Career Incentive Program by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education).

Expected Outcomes

• Demonstrate and utilize effective verbal, nonverbal, and written communication skills.
• Demonstrate an understanding of ethical standards in the law enforcement discipline and apply these standards in practical situations.
• Properly use basic criminal justice terms and concepts.
• Identify and explain the interrelationship between the major components of the criminal justice discipline: police, courts, corrections.
• Explain constitutional processes, substantive criminal law, application of appropriate criminal investigation techniques.
• Identify and demonstrate an understanding of specific crime typologies and offender profiles.