Protection, Security and Investigation

Description

Using a streamlined, four semester, continuous model approach, students develop specific knowledge and the skills necessary to meet the needs of a various rapidly evolving public and private industries in relation to safety and security. Areas of study include investigative techniques, intelligence assessment, understanding radicalization and extremism, crisis intervention, emergency management, physical security planning, leadership and cyber security.

As a stand-alone program with areas of commonality between the Police Foundations and Community and Justice Services programs, students will acquire an overall understanding of the Canadian charter of rights, law enforcement, intelligence collection, the investigative process, mental health, crisis intervention, critical thinking and analysis to develop specialized knowledge and skills that are in demand within public and private sector industries.

Career Opportunities

Graduates may find employment in government organizations, corporate and industrial security agencies, the armed forces, police services, hotels, casinos and retail establishments or be self-employed in the security industry.

Graduates are eligible to write the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services examinations which are mandatory for Private Investigators and Security Guards in Ontario. Under the Private Security and Investigative Services Act 2005, only candidates who pass the examinations are allowed to apply for a private investigator and/or security guard license.

Program Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. work in compliance with established standards and relevant legislation in the protection, security and investigation fields;
2. make decisions in a timely, effective and legally defensible manner to uphold protection and security;
3. carry out delegated duties and responsibilities in compliance with organizational policies and procedures;
4. act equitably and justly with diverse populations;
5. work effectively as a member of a protection and security team; 
6. prevent and resolve crisis, conflict and emergency situations by applying effective techniques;
7. conduct and/or contribute to investigations by collecting, preserving and presenting admissible evidence;
8. monitor, evaluate and accurately document behaviours, situations and events;
9. develop and implement ongoing effective strategies for personal and professional development;
10. employ environmentally sustainable practices within the profession;
11. apply entrepreneurial skills, attitudes and approaches to active engagement and service within the community.

Program Progression 

The following reflects the planned progression for full-time offerings of the program.

Fall Intake

• Sem 1: Fall 2025
• Sem 2: Winter 2026
• Sem 3: Summer 2026
• Sem 4: Fall 2026

Articulation

A number of articulation agreements have been negotiated with universities and other institutions across Canada, North America and internationally. These agreements are assessed, revised and updated on a regular basis. Please contact the program co-ordinator for specific details if you are interested in pursuing such an option. Additional information can be found on our website at https://www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/credit-transfer/

Admission Requirements

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or mature student status
• Grade 12 English (C or U)

Mature students, non-secondary school applicants (19 years or older), and home school applicants may also be considered for admission. Eligibility may be met by applicants who have taken equivalent courses, upgrading, completed their GED, and equivalency testing. For complete details refer to: www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/academic-regulations/

Applicants who have taken courses from a recognized and accredited post-secondary institution and/or have relevant life/learning experience may also be considered for admission; refer to the Credit for Prior Learning website for details:
www.georgiancollege.ca/admissions/credit-transfer/

Additional Information

Students may be required to obtain a security guard license, first aid certificate,  criminal reference/vulnerable sector check or a reliability screening prior to participating in the work integrated learning portion of the program.

International and Landed Immigrant Applicants: International and Landed Immigrant Applicants should be aware that the ability to obtain a valid security screening may be a condition of employment within Federal/Provincial organizations. 

*Please note that students who have resided or worked outside of Canada within the last five years may experience delays in the application process and may have difficulty meeting Federal/Provincial screening requirements.

Work Integrated Learning: All programs with a work integrated learning component at Georgian contain mandatory work term experiences aligned with program learning outcomes. An Internship is a supervised, structured work opportunity designed to integrate academic learning with work experience, supporting the development of industry specific competencies and employability skills for academic credit.

Georgian College holds membership with, and endeavors to follow, the guidelines for all work-integrated learning experiences as set out by the Co-operative Education and Work Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL) and Education at Work Ontario (EWO) as supported by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

Internship is facilitated as a supported, competitive job search process. Students engage in an active internship search that includes applying to positions posted by Co-op Consultants, and personal networking.  

Programs may have additional requirements such as a valid driver’s license, strong communication skills, industry specific certifications, and ability to travel. Under exceptional circumstances, a student may be unable to complete the program progression as shown below. Please refer to Georgian College Academic Regulation 4.2.7: Changes in program, course, section or co-op, for details.

International work terms are supported and encouraged, when aligned with program requirements.

Further information about Co-op and Career Success Services can be found at www.GeorgianCollege.ca/co-op

Graduation Requirements

15 Program Courses
2 Communications Courses
3 General Education Courses
1 Internship

Graduation Eligibility

To graduate from this program, the passing weighted average for promotion through each semester, from year to year, and to graduate is 60%. Additionally, a student must attain a minimum of 50% or a letter grade of P (Pass) or S (Satisfactory) in each course in each semester unless otherwise stated on the course outline.

Program Tracking

The following reflects the planned course sequence for full-time offerings of the Fall intake of the program. Where more  than one intake is offered  contact the program co-ordinator for the program tracking.

Plan of Study Grid

Semester 1		Hours
Program Courses
PSIN 1000	Introduction to Private Investigation and Surveillance	42
LAWS 1005	Introduction to Security Skills	42
LAWS 1021	Public Safety and Emergency Management	42
PSIN 2010	Municipal Law Enforcement and Provincial Offences	42
Communications Course
Select 1 course from the communications course list during registration.		42
General Education Course
Select 1 course from the general education list during registration.		42
	Hours	252
Semester 2
Program Courses
PSIN 1001	Radicalization & Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremism	42
PSIN 2004	Physical Security Planning & Security Awareness	42
PSIN 2005	Investigation Process	42
PSIN 2011	Security Management and Leadership	42
PSIN 2012	Cyber Security	42
LAWS 2048	Mental Health in Public Safety	42
General Education Course
Select 1 course from the general education list during registration.		42
	Hours	294
Semester 3
Program Courses
PSIN 2013	Advanced Cyber Security	42
PSIN 2014	Intelligence and Risk Management	42
LAWS 2049	Conflict Management and Crisis Intervention	42
LAWS 1019	Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Community Safety	42
General Education Course
Select 1 course from the general education list during registration.		42
Communication Course		42
Select 1 course from the communication list during registration
	Hours	252
Semester 4
Program Courses
PSIN 2015	Field Operations – WIL Seminar	42
Internship
PSIN 2016	Internship	525
	Hours	567
	Total Hours	1365

Graduation Window

Students unable to adhere to the program duration of two years (as stated above) may take a maximum of four years to complete their credential. After this time, students must be re-admitted into the program, and follow the curriculum in place at the time of re-admission.

Disclaimer: The information in this document is correct at the time of publication. Academic content of programs and courses is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational objectives and employment market needs. 

Program outlines may be subject to change in response to emerging situations, in order to facilitate student achievement of the learning outcomes required for graduation. Components such as courses, progression, coop work terms, placements, internships and other requirements may be delivered differently than published.