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Studies & Degrees in Private Investigator

Private investigators gather information and evidence for clients: companies, law firms, insurers and private individuals. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) sums the job up as gathering, analysing and reporting information to clients on legal or personal matters, and stresses that evidence must be collected and documented properly so that it can be used in court. Typical assignments concern employment disputes, insurance and commercial fraud, family and inheritance matters, and tracing people or assets.

Training therefore combines law with technique. Students learn which information may legally be obtained and how, and then the practical side: surveillance, interviewing, searching records, digital sources and writing a report that will stand up before a judge. In most countries the occupation is licensed, so the first question for any course is whether it leads to the licence in the country where you want to work.

Qualifications and levels

There is no international standard. Two systems show how different the routes are.

  • Spain. Private investigation is regulated by Law 5/2014 on private security. A detective needs either a university bachelor's degree in the field of private investigation or the private investigation course recognised by the Ministry of the Interior. The two courses listed on this page are three-year university programmes of 180 ECTS credits. They are taught online, in Spanish, and admit students with the Spanish bachillerato or a higher vocational qualification (grado superior).
  • United States. According to the BLS, private detectives and investigators typically need at least a high school diploma and several years of related work experience. Many have a law enforcement background, and most states require a licence.

Short courses in criminology, forensic techniques or security management exist in many places. They can be useful, but they are not the licensing qualification.

Becoming a detective in Spain

The course is only the first step. To work, a detective must be authorised by the Ministry of the Interior; the authorisation is handled by the Dirección General de la Policía, which issues a professional identity card (tarjeta de identidad profesional, TIP). The general requirements of Law 5/2014 include being of legal age and having no criminal record for intentional offences.

International students should check the nationality rule before enrolling. The law requires the nationality of a member state of the European Union or the European Economic Area, or of a third country that has an agreement with Spain under which each side gives the other's nationals access to these activities. A student from another country can take the course but may not be able to obtain the TIP.

The law also sets limits on the work. Detectives may not investigate crimes that are prosecuted ex officio, which are a matter for the police and the courts, and may never investigate private life inside homes or other reserved places.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists two active schools for this subject, both universities in the Spanish region of Castile and León.

  • The Universidad de Salamanca offers the Diploma de Extensión Universitaria de Detective Privado through its security training centre (CISE): 180 ECTS credits over three academic years, fully online, starting in November, with a listed price of €4,500 for the whole diploma. The university states that the diploma is recognised by the Ministry of the Interior and that it has taught private detective studies since 1996.
  • The Universidad Europea Miguel de Cervantes (UEMC), in Valladolid, offers the Título Superior Universitario en Detective Privado: 180 ECTS credits over three academic years, online and in Spanish. The university classifies it among its own lifelong-learning qualifications (estudios universitarios propios) and states that it is authorised by the Ministry of the Interior.

Both programmes are taught in Spanish only, so a good command of the language is necessary, including legal vocabulary.

Careers

Detectives work in their own agency, as employees of an agency, or for insurers, banks, law firms and corporate security departments. In the United States the BLS counted 39,500 jobs for private detectives and investigators in 2025 and projects employment to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035. Comparable official figures for Spain were not found for this page.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a university degree to become a private investigator?

It depends on the country. In Spain you need a bachelor's degree in private investigation or the private investigation course recognised by the Ministry of the Interior. In the United States a high school diploma and work experience are typical, and most states require a licence.

How long does the Spanish detective course take?

Three academic years. The programmes of the Universidad de Salamanca and the UEMC both have 180 ECTS credits.

Can I study to be a detective online?

Yes. Both programmes listed here are taught fully online, in Spanish.

Can a non-EU citizen work as a private detective in Spain?

Only if their country has an agreement with Spain that gives each side's nationals access to the profession. Otherwise Law 5/2014 requires the nationality of an EU or EEA member state.