Criminal Justice Certification in Iowa

By advancing your education in this field and becoming trained in a specific criminal justice role, you may find a career you love and that improves life in your community.

Like many states, Iowa has undergone significant criminal justice reform in recent years (The Gazette, 2016). This round of reform efforts focused on changing prison terms for nonviolent offenders and increasing minimum punishments for those who cause the death of a child through child endangerment.

Discover how you can earn a certificate in criminal justice.

Use the list of Iowa schools below to request information.

What Kind of Criminal Justice Certificates are Available in Iowa?

The type of certificate that best fits you is largely decided by your career goals and your previous postsecondary education. You can get started in many career paths with a technical criminal justice certificate. On average, these programs last between one and three semesters.

If you have a Bachelor’s degree, a post-Bachelor’s certificate could build on your existing education and give you advanced skills in a specific area of criminal justice.

Legal Assistant Technical Certificate Requirements 40 credits

• Legal Office Procedures
  • Learn how to help your law office run smoothly and efficiently through your daily work and documentation.
• Legal Ethics
  • This course covers the scope of practice of legal assistants and outlines the legal ethics that guide their work.
• Criminal Procedure
  • Discover the procedures that are used when a crime is committed, when suspects are located, and when convictions are made.
• Legal Research and Writing
  • This course looks at the principles of legal writing and research, two of the most important and time-consuming tasks for paralegals and legal assistants.

Law Enforcement Technical Certificate Requirements 30 credits

• Police and Society
  • Look at how the role of police officers has changed over time and how police officers are viewed in society today. This class may also look at the goals of the criminal justice industry in this area.
• Constitutional Criminal Procedures
  • This course outlines the criminal procedures that must be used to avoid violating a person’s constitutional rights.
• Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice
  • Explore the ethical issues that plague the field of criminal justice and dictate the future of this field.
• Criminal Investigation
  • This course covers techniques and procedures for criminal investigation.

Emergency Management Technical Certificate Requirements 15 credits

• Principles of Emergency Management
  • Students in this course delve into the goals of emergency management, the role of emergency management directors, and the immediate threats that face a population after an emergency.
• Psychology of Disaster
  • This class covers the psychology of emergencies, those who create manmade disasters, and those who are victimized by disasters.
• Principles and Practice of Hazards Mitigation
  • In this class, you can learn practical information for minimizing the risk caused by hazards during and after an emergency.
• Disaster Response and Recovery
  • Students in this course can learn how to respond in the immediate aftermath of the disaster and conduct recovery efforts.

Computer Forensics Post-Bachelor’s Certificate Requirements 24 credits

• Computer Hardware Basics
  • This technical course covers the hardware used in today’s computers, particularly those used by government and criminal justice agencies.
• Operating Systems for Forensics
  • Learn about the operating systems and programs used by forensic professionals to recover, save, and encrypt evidence.
• E-Crime Investigative Methods
  • Students in this course learn about the role of computer forensics specialists in the solving of crimes.
• Advanced Digital Forensic Methods
  • This course builds on prior classes and covers in-depth investigative forensic methods.

What Can I Do With a Criminal Justice Certificate in Iowa?

You may want to get practical work experience while earning your criminal justice certificate. The specialized nature of criminal justice programs means that you may be able to work for a few specific agencies after graduation, and having contacts in your area of study can pay off.

Students who attend law enforcement criminal justice certificate programs may attend the local police academy and become police officers. Job openings for Iowa police officers may swell 12% through 2030 (CareerOneStop, 2022). Currently, the average salary for a police officer is $65,120 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022).

A paralegal education may give you the boost you need to be employed by local law firms. Job openings may see a 25% boost through 2030 (CareerOneStop, 2022). Iowa paralegals claim an average annual income of $58,310 (BLS, 2022).

After studying forensic science, you may start a career in the in-demand field of computer forensics. This field requires highly technical training, which is why technicians are in demand. A 13% increase in job openings is predicted through 2030 (CareerOneStop, 2022). On average, forensic science technicians earn $71,910 per year in Iowa (BLS, 2022).

2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures for Iowa contained here reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed November 2023.

You know what it takes to get started in this field, so start your journey at one of the criminal justice programs in Iowa.

Contact local and online schools for more information.

Online programs may not be available in all areas