Basic Law Enforcement Academy (Certificate of Achievement)

Cost: $4,471
Length: 22 weeks
Working 6 months later: 95%

Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.

What happened to people who took this

People enrolled: 143

Finished the program: 52%Based on 82 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
Working 6 months later: 95%Typical California program: 69% of 1,690 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
Earnings in one quarter after: $5,084A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.Typical California program: $10,900 of 1,339 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.

The jobs this trains for

This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.

Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.

Where California publishes a separate figure for Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.

Detectives and Criminal Investigators

Job ads may call this: Detective · Investigator · Special Agent · Police Detective

Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.

Check victims for signs of life, such as breathing and pulse.
Secure deceased body and obtain evidence from it, preventing bystanders from tampering with it prior to medical examiner's arrival.
Obtain facts or statements from complainants, witnesses, and accused persons and record interviews, using recording device.
Record progress of investigation, maintain informational files on suspects, and submit reports to commanding officer or magistrate to authorize warrants.

Show 2 more things this job involves

Prepare charges or responses to charges, or information for court cases, according to formalized procedures.
Prepare reports that detail investigation findings.

Typical pay in California: $128,002per yearSanta Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: $133,048
Projected openings: 9,580Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: 30
Projected change: +4.5%
Usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent

Getting in

Experience needed first: Under 5 years in a related job
Training after you are hired: 1 to 12 months

Employers usually expect some time in a related job as well as the training. Ask the provider what their graduates did before they were hired.

These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.

What people in this job actually studied

Most common: Four-year degree — 44% of the people doing this work.

California says this job usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent. 0.4% of the people doing it went less far than that.

No high school diploma: 0.4%
High school diploma: 8%
Started college, no degree: 19%
Two-year degree: 9%
Four-year degree: 44%
Master's degree: 17%
Doctorate or professional degree: 3%

This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job.

Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

Pay, hiring, and what people studied

Job ads may call this: Deputy · Patrol Deputy · Peace Officer · State Trooper

Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts.
Provide for public safety by maintaining order, responding to emergencies, protecting people and property, enforcing motor vehicle and criminal laws, and promoting good community relations.
Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities.
Render aid to accident survivors and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries.

Show 3 more things this job involves

Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved.
Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.
Monitor, note, report, and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area.

Typical pay in California: $121,891per yearSanta Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: $122,980
Projected openings: 52,390Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: 550
Projected change: +5.2%
Usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent

Getting in

Experience needed first: None
Training after you are hired: 1 to 12 months

What people in this job actually studied

Most common: Four-year degree — 34% of the people doing this work.

California says this job usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent. 0.9% of the people doing it went less far than that.

No high school diploma: 0.9%
High school diploma: 13%
Started college, no degree: 28%
Two-year degree: 16%
Four-year degree: 34%
Master's degree: 7%
Doctorate or professional degree: 0.7%

Program details

This program provides in-person instruction only.

The Law Enforcement certificate program is designed to prepare those interested in a career in the law enforcement field, either public or private. Students may enter the program as an independent recruit or sponsored by law enforcement agency. Completion of the program does not guarantee employment. Students will be tested mentally, physically and emotionally. The course of instruction includes academic, driving instruction, defensive tactics, firearms training and physical fitness training. Prior to enrollment, students will complete a background packet, complete a medical exam, obtain a clearance from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and be free of any felony conviction. Students who complete the program and obtain employment by a law enforcement agency are then allowed to enter the Field Training Program.

Provider's website →

Someone else may be able to pay for this

This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.

The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California

A comprehensive center is where all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. California's Employment Development Department directs people to CareerOneStop's finder to locate one. Contacting a center before traveling is worth it — the state notes that its own staff are not physically present at every location.

The rule: 20 CFR 678.305 — What is a comprehensive one-stop center? · 20 CFR 678.310 — What is an affiliated site? · California EDD — Office Locator

America`s Job Center of California Workforce Resource CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 805-614-1550
1410 South BroadwaySuite ESanta Maria, CA 93454about 11.8 miles away
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Has a veterans' representative

Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.

Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List

How this gets paid for, and what to ask →

Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.

The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.

How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →