Police Executive Leadership Development (CERT)
Offered through the nationally ranked Southern Police Institute, this graduate certificate blends academic rigor with real-world application. Faculty with deep law enforcement and research expertise prepare officers for executive leadership roles through coursework in organizational management, strategic planning and ethical decision-making. Since 1951, SPI has been a leader in advancing policing excellence—equipping graduates to rise as innovative leaders in law enforcement agencies across the nation.
Graduate Certificate in Police Executive Leadership Development
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (GA)
Department: Criminal Justice
Program Website
Academic Plan Code(s): CPELCPL
Program Information
The Southern Police Institute is a division of the Department of Criminal Justice in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Louisville. It is an advanced education and training institute whose mission is to enhance the professional development of law enforcement practitioners. We accomplish this mission by providing educational and career development programs that are designed to challenge and to prepare law enforcement practitioners for the demands of today and tomorrow. The Southern Police Institute consistently is ranked among the top law enforcement educational and training schools in the nation.
Since the creation of the Southern Police Institute in 1951, its program of instruction has been grounded in the belief that law enforcement is a demanding activity requiring the highest level of professional preparation. The Southern Police Institute was established by its founders to provide a place where that preparation can be undertaken. The present faculty and staff dedicate themselves to this mission and continue to maintain the standards of excellence established by our founders. They are uniquely qualified as researchers, consultants, teachers, and former law enforcement practitioners to guide and to direct the educational needs of today's law enforcement professionals.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet the standards for good standing or provisional admission to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice, including an earned bachelor's degree and appropriate letters of recommendation. They must also achieve a qualifying score on the Southern Police Institute's admission examination and be recommended by the Chief Executive Officer of their supporting agency. Applications are reviewed for eligibility by the Southern Police Institute's faculty who are members of the University's Graduate Faculty and the Department of Criminal Justice.
Program Requirements
The curriculum of the Administrative Officers Course (AOC) may be taken only by students admitted to and enrolled in the Southern Police Institute. The Southern Police Institute offers two 12-week AOC programs annually.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CJ 576 | Managing Organizational Performance | 3 |
| CJ 577 | Trauma Informed Policing | 3 |
| CJ 578 | Criminal Justice Leadership - WR | 3 |
| CJ 612 | Criminal Justice Administration: Police | 3 |
| Minimum Total Hours | 12 | |