Correctional Officer Certificate

Certificate Program

The job of a Correctional Officer can be challenging as well as very rewarding. Officers within Delaware are very diverse and have several opportunities for various positions within the state's Department of Correction (DOC). They are currently offered a 25 year retirement with competitive pay and benefits.

This certificate program provides critical information regarding the scope and nature of correctional officer duties, interactions with the various agencies and other branches of government, the various cultures and norms within society, interviewing skills, ethical considerations within public safety, communication skills, and crisis intervention and prevention knowledge.

Graduates of this certificate program will receive priority employment consideration by the Department of Correction and will be able to apply their credits towards a two-year degree in criminal justice at Delaware Tech. Graduates who are hired by the DOC and complete the training academy will earn additional college credits towards this degree.

If you are interested in pursuing a career as a Correctional Officer, in the criminal justice system, the Delaware Department of Correction is in need of certified correctional officers, and this certificate program has been created for applicants who wish to obtain this career.

Offered at the following campus(es): Dover, Georgetown, Stanton

What You Can Do

In this program, you will gain the knowledge and skills to prepare you for positions such as:

• Correctional officer

What You Will Learn

Program Graduate Competencies

The Program Graduate Competencies listed below identify the major learning goals related to your specific program of study and identify the knowledge and skills you will have when you graduate to be successful in your chosen field.

1. Examine criminal justice professionalism in the performance of duties.
2. Review the function and interaction of criminal justice agencies and organizations.
3. Apply interviewing, counseling, and crisis intervention techniques with diverse criminal justice populations.
4. Review knowledge of causation and correction to juvenile and adult offenders.
5. Study the legal principles and practices of criminal and constitutional law.

Suggested Pathway to Graduation