Detective Training Institute
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 909, San Juan Capistrano, California 92693-0909
Telephone: (888) 425-9338, Fax: (949) 498-4751, website: www.DetectiveTraining.com

Course: Private Investigator
Objective: Become a Private Investigator
Type of Program: Non-Degree, Diploma

MISSION AND PURPOSE
DTI’s provides valuable training to people who are willing to work as private investigators but cannot do so without proper training and instruction in the field of private investigation. The school was founded to provide its graduates with the necessary job skills to perform private investigations to the satisfaction of their employers, or to work independently on their own after meeting their state’s licensing requirements.

In DTI’s course, there is an emphasis on different types of investigative work, and the role and functions of private investigators. You’ll learn the various practices and techniques used in private investigation, enhance your ability to perform effective record searches through public information sources, and learn how to decipher and summarize court files in public documents and various types of investigations. You will also learn how to gather and evaluate facts and properly gather evidence and develop witness and statements through interviews. You'll develop further skills needed for investigations in such specialized areas as background searches, insurance fraud, personal injury, surveillance, skip tracing, and missing persons. Finally, you'll learn about the investigative opportunities in the business community. You’ll learn how to create opportunities for employment through contacts, networking, and other resources.

EMPLOYMENT PLACEMENT SERVICES
DTI does not provide employment placement services. The school does not release graduate names to private parties seeking to employ the student to conduct investigations since the student would be required to be state licensed to offer such services.

OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
You do not need to be licensed to learn private investigation or conduct your own personal investigations. However, if you intend to advertise your services to solicit business from the general public, you must apply for a state license. Generally, you will be required to work under another investigator’s license for a period of two to three years to fulfill your state’s experiential requirements before becoming licensed.

The following are general requirements for private investigators in states with licensing laws for private investigators and for positions in private industry. However, they vary from state to state and with different private agencies. Verify the private investigator licensing laws in your state before enrolling.

Applicants must be at least 18, 21, or 25 years of age depending on the state. Private industry usually requires the applicant to be at least 18 years of age. There is no maximum age limit. States with licensing laws usually give written examinations, but never oral examinations. Private industry may require written examinations and oral interviews.

Many states may require a licensing fee and/or posting a bond. Some states require you to have one to three years of work experience/internship as a private investigator trainee before applying for a state license. Applicants must be in generally good health although many minor handicaps that do not severely affect the ability to perform the job are acceptable. These same requirements apply in private industry. Candidates applying for state licensing or for private industry must have a good moral character with no felony convictions, no history of personal maladjustments, and no treatment for mental and/or psychological disorders of any type.

ADMISSIONS
DTI is an equal opportunity institution and admits applicants without regard to race religion, sex, age, color, national origin, physical disability, or place of residence, and offers education to anyone who meets the admissions standards and can benefit from the training.

To qualify for admission to the school, a student must 1) be able to read and write, 2) be a minimum age of 18 years old with a high school diploma or equivalent, 3) be of good moral character with no felony convictions, no history of personal maladjustments, and no treatment for mental and/or psychological disorders of any type.

DTI accepts admissions on any regular business day. The applicant will receive prompt notification of acceptance or rejection of admission. Instructional materials are emailed and mailed to the student when the application is accepted, which marks the beginning of the enrollment period. Additional materials are mailed as required to ensure maintenance of student progress.

All course lessons and communications are in English. DTI does not offer English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction.

DTI grants no credit toward completion for previous education or training. The school does not award credit for prior experiential learning or other education or experience.

DTI has not entered into a transfer of credits agreement with any other college or university.

COURSE LENGTH AND HOURS
The complete DTI course consists of 35 lessons—700 hours.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD
The educational program is conducted with combination of printed and online correspondence instruction. We designed all of DTI's video instruction and printed materials for guided independent study. This approach requires constant effort on the part of the student, encouraged by frequent evaluation from the teacher. Each lesson includes written instructional materials with clear directions for the learning assignments to be completed. Demonstration of mastery of the instruction by the student is tied to the sequence of the presentation of the material to measure the students’ learning of the material. This is accomplished by in-field exercises that enable students to evaluate their progress. DTI records evaluations of required mail-in examinations and assignments and these form a part of the student’s permanent record. DTI grants credit for coursework when a student has passed all exams in the course.

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS
DTI is a correspondence/distant learning school that offers no classroom instruction and has no attendance requirements. Students must complete the total course within two years maximum. However, DTI encourages students to submit for correction and grading at least one study unit (five lessons) per three-month period.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
You graduate the private investigator program when you have completed all seven course examinations with an overall grade average of C or better and have met all financial obligations. DTI has no final exam or internship requirements for graduation.

STUDENT RECORDS
State law requires DTI to maintain student records for each student, whether or not the student completes the educational service, for a period of five years after the date of the student’s graduation, withdrawal, or termination.

NOTICE CONCERNING TRANSFERABILITY OF CREDITS AND CREDENTIALS EARNED AT OUR INSTITUTION
The transferability of credits you earn at Detective Training Institute is at the complete discretion of an institution to which you may seek to transfer. Acceptance of the diploma you earn in the private investigator program is also at the complete discretion of the institution to which you may seek to transfer. If the diploma that you earn at this institution is not accepted at the institution to which you seek to transfer, you may be required to repeat some or all of your course work at the institution. For this reason you should make certain that your attendance at this institution will meet your educational goals. This may include contacting an institution to which you may seek to transfer after attending Detective Training Institute to determine if your diploma will transfer.

ENROLLMENT PERIOD LIMITS AND LEAVES OF ABSENCE
You may begin your enrollment period on any business day, and progress at your own pace, but you must complete the coursework within 24 months. The enrollment period may be extended, upon written request of the student and approval by the School Director.

DTI may grant a leave of absence up to six months to students who are temporarily unable to continue their studies due to personal circumstances or emergencies. During a leave of absence, DTI places a student’s enrollment period on hold. At the end of the designated period, students are expected to resume course study.

To receive a leave of absence, you must send a request by email or letter to the School Director, detailing the reasons for the request and the time period of leave requested (not to exceed six months). Should circumstances change at any time during the leave period, you may notify the school that you wish to end your leave of absence, and you may resume coursework at that time.

ACADEMIC PROBATION
DTI’s Academic Probation system functions to warn students of impending academic problems and to provide remedial assistance if needed. We give all students the opportunity to succeed.

If you fail two exams, DTI will send a letter to alert you of potential academic problems. Failing three exams will make you a candidate for academic probation and allow the school to step in and offer special instruction and counseling with the opportunity to meet standards upon re-examination. Failure to meet grade standards and the terms of probation will result in dismissal.

STUDENT SERVICES
DTI offers students instruction on “How to Study” and “How to Get the Most out of the Instruction.” We make instructional assistance available to students for help on lessons, exams, exercises, grades, transcripts, and lesson shipments via email or fax. We give written consultation concentrating on how to improve study skills and performance to students who are having difficulty in completing lessons satisfactorily. DTI gives students who ask for assistance the appropriate time and attention to help them deal with their problems satisfactorily.

DISMISSAL POLICY
DTI reserves the right, subject to the Tuition and Refund Policy, to terminate a student from the program for the following reasons: