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What Education Is Needed to Become a Private Investigator?

At the moment, the UK has no minimum educational qualifications for people who wish to become private investigators. This opens the door to a lot of people who have ambitions of joining the field of private investigation. However, this doesn't mean that education has no place in private investigation.

Almost any kind of knowledge can be of use to a private investigator. This is why a private investigator must undergo training and pass certain tests before they can be licensed by the Security Industry Authority.


Types Of Private Investigator Education

To become a licensed private investigator, you will need to undergo training by an accredited institution and attain an IQ Level 3 Award for Private Investigators. This training is designed to impart the skills and knowledge that a private investigator needs to a complete novice. This means that the training is suitable for people who have no prior experience in private investigation.

Investigative training can be undertaken on a full-time basis. This is a good idea if you have the time since it will enable you to complete the course much faster. However, it can also be done through distance learning. This is convenient for those with other obligations.


Additional Courses

A private investigator is only as good as the knowledge they possess.

If a private detective is knowledgeable about many different things, it makes it easier for them to work on different types of cases. Without this, a private investigator may find themselves restricted to a particular type of case. There is also certain knowledge that any private detective will benefit from having. This includes knowledge in accounting and use of computers. Therefore, many private investigators undertake additional courses to get this knowledge.

Some of the courses commonly taken by private investigators include:

  • Business management degrees and certificates
  • Business accounting degrees
  • Paralegal studies
  • Computer studies etc.


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