Police Studies Extension Certificate - Online

E-mail: cehealth@mtroyal.ca
Information: 403.440.6867 or toll-free 1.866.616.3606
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Required Courses | Professional Development | Student Testimonials

The Police Studies Certificate provides both theoretical and practical skills and explores a range of intervention strategies at various stages of the justice process. It emphasizes skill development, essential attitudes and personal qualities that facilitate the application of justice.

Explore the major components of the Canadian justice system, the various roles of legislative bodies, courts, law enforcement, corrections and aftercare services in the community, and the varying methodologies/programs employed by components of the justice system in carrying out their public mandates.

Earn Credit Toward a Degree/Diploma
Certain Extension Certificates have been developed in cooperation with Mount Royal University credit faculties. These certificates have components which are transferable into various diplomas, applied degrees and degrees, provided applicants achieve the minimum required grade in the course(s) and meet the entrance requirements for the degree. Please see credit program websites for diploma, applied degree or degree entrance requirements. For more information on transfer credit please contact Community and Health Studies at cehealth@mtroyal.ca or 403.440.6867.

Technical Requirements
It is important that you are aware of the technical requirements for using the Blackboard online learning platform prior to registering for any of the following courses. Please refer to the following link for more information: Blackboard Technical Requirements

Program Requirements
Learners must have skills in word processing to succeed in this program. Please log in to your Blackboard course on the official course start date and refer to your Course Outline for assignment due dates. APA 6 formatting standards must be met when completing all assignments. APA Formatting

Course Expectations
The listed course hours indicate the estimated time for students to review the online learning units. The actual time spent completing assignments will vary depending on each student’s particular learning style and level of study skills.

Course Materials
Please refer to your registration confirmation.

Earning Your Extension Certificate
Complete the six required courses (288 hours) with a minimum passing grade in each course. All courses are offered online and can be taken in any order.

Career Outlook
A broad range of justice and law enforcement skills is valuable to those in a variety of professions, including justice studies, law enforcement, investigations and security.

Further Educational Opportunities
Forensic Studies

Required Courses 

Canadian Criminal Justice Systems
The justice system in Canada is a fascinating and sometimes confusing mixture of competing interests. Everyone associated with this system needs to be aware of the various components and how they operate. Explore the major components of the Canadian justice system and the roles of legislative bodies, courts, law enforcement, corrections and aftercare services in the community.

Interpersonal Relationship Skills
Gain insight into criminal behaviour by exploring human needs and relationships. Offender populations bring with them a wide range of emotional needs and justice personnel need to develop effective approaches to dealing with all kinds of people. The focus of this course is on normal human behaviour and an appreciation of cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary perspectives.

Human Diversity in Justice
Explore issues of diversity and justice within Canadian society and assess the workings of the Canadian criminal justice system in relation to minorities. Diversity in ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, age and social class has affected access to justice throughout Canadian history. Develop an in-depth appreciation of the link between minority group status and justice.

Trends and Issues in Policing
Delve into the issues pertaining to law enforcement in a modern democratic society. Examine the relationship between policing and other aspects of the criminal justice system and assess the basic assumptions informing current policing trends in Canada and internationally. Topics include police-citizen conflict, occupational subculture, crime prevention, and the interface between police and other justice agencies.

Criminology Concepts
Be introduced to the major theoretical concepts in criminology through an interdisciplinary approach to the study of crime, criminals and criminality. Become familiar with the jargon and terms used in criminology, as well as the historical factors leading to the development of current criminological theories.

Canadian Criminal Law
Review the historical and philosophical perspective of the nature, aims and scope of criminal law in Canada. Develop oral and written communication skills to facilitate legal problem solving, including rudimentary skills in adversarial advocacy, and acquire skills in legal research, case briefing, precedent application and statutory interpretation using a teamwork approach.

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Professional Development Seminar

Ideal for current justice studies students as well as professionals working in the justice field. This course is not part of the Police Studies Extension Certificate, but does transfer to the Bachelor of Arts - Criminal Justice degree (see the Earn Credit Toward a Degree/Diploma section above).

Crime and Intelligence Analysis: Bridging the Gap
This course describes the various types of analysis including tactical, strategic and intelligence; the process of crime and intelligence analysis; and the role of the analyst in law enforcement. Topics covered include: analyzing crime data, forecasting future criminal occurrences, tracking crime patterns and series, monitoring crime trends, preparing statistical crime reports and managing the analysis function.

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Student Testimonials 

"This is a great course for anyone interested in the field…As a precept to the Police Studies Diploma or just a general interest point, I recommend this course."

David Fischer, Criminology Concepts Student

"Excellent instruction. I felt like I was part of the justice field already."

Angela Pasquini, Criminology Concepts Student

"Fantastic course to take to learn the basic fundamentals of the Canadian criminal justice system. Very informative, educational and interesting."

Naomi Garner, Canadian Criminal Justice Systems Student

"This course reveals details about criminal justice system that you would never know about unless you worked in the system."

Derek Lam, Canadian Criminal Justice Systems Student

"I enjoyed coming to class because it was interesting, informative and fun."

Jeffrey Tyler Smith, Canadian Criminal Justice Systems Student

"Considering a career in the criminal justice field? This course will give you an excellent beginner's understanding or provide all the necessary details to complete your understanding from previous experience. It was fantastic!"

Jason Falkinson, Security Officer, Mount Royal College
and Canadian Criminal Justice Systems Student

"It provides a hungry mind an introduction to the world of policing."

Lindsay Maksymec, Canadian Criminal Justice Systems Student

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