Law Enforcement POST (CERT)

Summary

The certificate is for students who already have a Bachelor's degree in any discipline who want to meet the education requirements to become a licensed peace officer in the State of Minnesota. The successful completion of the curriculum in the certificate, along with the successful completion of the clinical skills component, will allow students to be eligible to take the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) examination for licensing. 

Catalog Year

2021-2022

Degree

Certificate

Total Credits

28

Locations

Mankato

Program Requirements

Major Common Core

The history, development, and application of criminal laws and criminal procedures in the criminal justice system.

Prerequisites: none

A critical consideration of definitions of juvenile delinquency, emphasis on micro and macro level of struggle in which delinquent behavior takes place, critique of current theories on delinquency, and the juvenile justice response to delinquency.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-5, GE-9

Diverse Cultures: Purple

This course explores the history of community policing and explains what community policing is and is not. It also examines what research has discovered about the relationship of the police with the community. The student will be introduced to the value of positive interactions between peace officers and the populations they serve, as well as ways to incorporate problem-solving strategies on both small and large scales.

Prerequisites: none

The history, legal aspects of investigation, the evolution of investigations and forensics, procedures of crime investigations, procurement and preservation of evidence and interviewing.

Prerequisites: none

An extensive study of the rules, statutes, criminal laws, and traffic laws that directly relate to the role of a peace officer in the State of Minnesota.

Prerequisites: none

This course will introduce students to theoretical concepts in sociology, social psychology, psychology, and criminology pertaining to human behavior. Students will gain an understanding of how individual and societal factors influence the behaviors of the people they serve, as well as how those same factors influence the police officer personality. Students will also be introduced to many of the mental disorders they will encounter in the field so that they may more easily identify those in crisis when in the field and determine the most appropriate course of action to assist them.

Prerequisites: none

This course is designed to provide law enforcement students with the basic information, tools, and skills needed to improve interpersonal communications with coworkers and citizens from all ethnic and cultural groups. It is also intended to provide some historical information so students can contextualize and better understand why particular groups may distrust and resist law enforcement and the criminal justice system as a whole.

Prerequisites: none

Diverse Cultures: Purple

This course focuses on the intellectual aspects of law enforcement from the perspectives of communication, interpersonal relations, and critical thinking. The course will provide the student with a solid foundation in effective law enforcement communications and prepare the student intellectually for a career as a law enforcement officer. This course also has a writing intensive requirement that involves drafting, editing, and reviewing a variety of written assignments.

Prerequisites: none

Senior Seminar is a capstone course that is specifically designed for Law Enforcement students to be eligible to become licensed peace officers. This course will assist the student in several areas to include preparation for the MN POST test, interviewing skills, critical thinking and decision making skills, group work and presentations, scenario based learning and application of law to the scenarios.

Prerequisites: Admission to the program.