What degree do you need to be a detective?

Most police departments also require detectives to complete training at the local police academy and spend a few years as patrol officers, gaining valuable experience in the law enforcement system. Upon completion of a few years of patrol, officers must take a promotional exam to become detectives.

Through education and experience, detectives may hone the skills to become truly successful investigators. Some of the fundamental skills for detectives include:

• Critical thinking: Detectives must be prepared to review evidence, analyze it carefully and reach reasonable conclusions and inferences. They need to think "outside the box."

• Problem-solving: As detectives encounter dead ends or "cold" trails, it's important they apply creative problem-solving abilities.

• Attention to detail: Detectives never know which pieces of evidence will be meaningful, so they must pay attention to everything.

• Communication: Detectives need to be adept at communicating with witnesses and suspects. They must also be able to clearly relay their findings to prosecutors and, in some cases, to judges and juries.

• Computer skills: The ability to find and evaluate online evidence is a must, especially for cybercrime detectives.

• Writing skills: It is important for detectives to possess excellent writing skills due to the large number of reports that are written.

• Emotional stability: Detectives routinely experience unpleasant and sometimes disturbing events at crime scenes. They must be emotionally able to handle these circumstances.