- CCP
- DoD COOL
- Missouri DHE
- POST Approved for CLEE
- NICCS aligned
Certified Criminal Profiler (CCP)
Analyze Behavior, Interpret Crime-Scene Evidence, and Develop Defensible Investigative Hypotheses.
The Certified Criminal Profiler program prepares investigators, analysts, and criminal-justice professionals to evaluate behavioral evidence, victimology, crime-scene characteristics, offender patterns, interviews, and case documentation while maintaining ethical and evidentiary discipline.
- 5.0
- 3 reviews
- 100
- Hours
- 100
- CPE credits
- Lifetime
- Access
- 1 Year
- Exam License
- FBI
- DHS
- FedEx
- Citi
- Mossberg
- DEA
- DoD
- 3-Day Money-Back Guarantee
- Full Lifetime Access
- 1 Year Exam License
- Official Study Manual
- Official Online Training
- Official Prep Review Quizzes
or pay over time with Affirm · Sezzle
Military / Gov COOL and TA eligible
Behavior can reveal meaningful patterns—but weak assumptions can misdirect an investigation.
Criminal investigations often involve incomplete scenes, conflicting accounts, limited evidence, victim-offender dynamics, and behavior that can support more than one explanation. Professionals must distinguish observation from inference, evaluate alternative hypotheses, document limitations, and avoid allowing intuition or stereotypes to become conclusions. CCP is designed for professionals who need a structured framework for interpreting behavioral evidence, evaluating victimology and crime-scene information, developing investigative hypotheses, and communicating findings that can be reviewed and challenged.
Investigations are misdirected when behavioral assumptions are treated as facts rather than hypotheses requiring corroboration.
Important patterns are missed when victimology, crime-scene behavior, interviews, and offender characteristics are evaluated separately.
Profiles lose credibility when analytical reasoning, alternative explanations, evidence limitations, and ethical boundaries are not documented.
CCP provides a structured approach to behavioral evidence analysis, victimology, crime-scene interpretation, offender characteristics, investigative interviewing, hypothesis development, legal considerations, and defensible case documentation.
What sets this program apart
Evidence-Informed Behavioral Analysis
Grounds profiling in observable behavior, victimology, crime-scene information, investigative records, and corroborated case evidence rather than intuition or unsupported typologies.
Hypotheses, Not Certainty
Develops the discipline to form, test, revise, and document investigative hypotheses while distinguishing fact, inference, probability, and uncertainty.
Investigation Through Documentation
Connects behavioral analysis with interviews, follow-up investigation, case records, legal fundamentals, professional writing, and consultative reporting.
Professional Certification Assessment
Certification requires completion of the applicable training, eligibility, assessment, and proctored examination requirements. Access to the program alone does not result in certification.
Choose your enrollment path
Self-pay, military/government funding, or employer sponsorship — we'll take you to the right option.
A board-issued credential, recognized where it counts
- DoD COOL
- Missouri DHE
- POST Approved for CLEE
- NICCS aligned
Board certification programs: Students must submit all course quizzes, score 70% or better on all sections of the course and obtain a 70% or better on the final online examination, and submit proof eligibility up completion of your exam application. All fees must be paid in full. Upon successful completion of your program, the McAfee Institute will issue your board certification. Students who successfully complete the program before meeting the eligibility will be put into a holding pattern until the eligibility is met at which time the credentials will be issued.
Completion of training does not guarantee employment, promotion, security clearance eligibility, or acceptance by any agency or third party.
Eligible for military & government credentialing assistance
Select certification programs may be eligible for use with military and government credentialing or tuition assistance benefits, subject to agency and individual eligibility requirements. Participation does not imply endorsement by any agency.
State & Federal Regulatory Approvals
Missouri DHEWD
State-certified to operate under 6 CSR 10-5.010
Dept. of Higher Education and Workforce Development
NICCS Education & Training Catalog
Listed training provider, NICCS Education & Training Catalog
Mapped to NIST NICE framework · operated by CISA
Missouri POST
100 CLEE hours approved · Control #26719
20 legal studies · 20 interpersonal perspectives · 60 technical studies
Officers should confirm acceptance with their licensing agency.
Joshua A. McAfee · Founder & CEO, McAfee Institute
15 years building credentials for the professionals who actually do the work. CCP was developed alongside practitioners from federal, state, and corporate investigation teams.
Built for professionals responsible for behavioral analysis and complex criminal investigations
CCP is designed for professionals whose work involves criminal investigations, behavioral evidence, victimology, crime-scene analysis, interviewing, threat assessment, fraud, security, or the development of investigative and consultative findings.
This course is perfect for
Law Enforcement and Intelligence Professionals who want to enhance their skills in criminal profiling and behavioral analysis to support investigations more effectively.
Private Investigators and Fraud Analysts seeking to specialize in profiling techniques to improve their investigation outcomes.
Forensic Psychologists and Criminal Justice Experts aiming to add profiling expertise to their analytical repertoire for broader career opportunities.
Corporate Security and Loss Prevention Specialists who require a deeper understanding of criminal behavior to enhance organizational safety and threat mitigation strategies.
Legal and Forensic Consultants involved in expert witness testimony or consultation who need to understand the complexities of profiling and criminal investigations.
This course may not be for you if
You are seeking entertainment-style profiling or a method for identifying an offender with certainty from personality traits alone.
Your role does not involve investigations, behavioral analysis, victimology, crime-scene assessment, interviewing, threat analysis, security, fraud, or related professional responsibilities.
You want clinical diagnosis or mental-health treatment training rather than investigative behavioral analysis.
You are looking for a brief introductory seminar rather than a structured certification with extensive coursework and formal assessment.
You are unwilling to distinguish observation from inference, test competing hypotheses, document uncertainty, and avoid bias or stereotyping.
Is this program right for you?
Program-fit questions candidates ask before they enroll.
No specialized profiling background is required beyond the published eligibility standards. The program begins with foundational concepts and progresses into victimology, behavioral evidence, crime-scene interpretation, interviewing, documentation, and applied analysis.
Eligibility & requirements
McAfee Institute trains military, law enforcement, and investigative professionals. Eligibility reflects that. Verification is the reason the credential carries weight in the field.
Education & experience
Any one of the qualifying paths below. Experience must be in investigations, law enforcement, criminal justice, military, or similar fields with direct criminal investigation or intelligence responsibilities.
Path A Bachelor's or higher + 4 years experience
Path B Associate's degree + 5 years experience
Path C HS diploma or equivalent + 6 years experience
Relevant fields include investigations, law enforcement, criminal justice, military, and/or another similar field with direct criminal investigation and/or intelligence responsibilities.
Conduct requirements
Applicants are not eligible with any felony conviction or pending felony charge, or any conviction or pending charge involving violence, dishonesty or breach of trust, or crimes against persons, or other disqualifying offenses. Criminal history must be disclosed at enrollment and may be verified.
International enrollment
McAfee Institute is a U.S.-based institution serving a primarily U.S. professional audience. International enrollments may be subject to additional review, identity verification, professional affiliation verification, and compliance screening. Applicants located in certain countries or regions, or associated with restricted persons or entities under U.S. law, may be ineligible for enrollment.
- 3-Day Money-Back Guarantee
- Full Lifetime Access
- 1 Year Exam License
- Official Study Manual
- Official Online Training
- Official Prep Review Quizzes
or pay over time with Affirm · Sezzle
Military / Gov COOL and TA eligible
Read the full eligibility and conduct policyDisclosure & verification
Applicants must disclose criminal history as requested during enrollment. McAfee Institute may verify eligibility through documentation and/or a background check when required by a program component, partner environment, exam vendor, or when reasonably necessary to protect program integrity. Disclosures are required to the extent permitted by applicable law.
False information
Any material falsification or omission is grounds for denial of admission, removal from the program, and/or denial of certification.
No guarantee of outcome
Completion of training does not guarantee employment, promotion, security clearance eligibility, or acceptance by any agency or third party.
The CCP curriculum progresses from criminal-profiling foundations and victimology into crime-scene reconstruction, behavioral evidence analysis, offender characteristics, investigative documentation, follow-up investigation, informants, interviews, legal fundamentals, and professional writing. Across 15 modules and 100 hours of instruction, learners examine how behavioral information can support investigative hypotheses and defensible professional findings.
About this Course
Advanced training in criminal profiling, behavioral analysis, and investigative psychology. Learn to develop psychological profiles of offenders and apply behavioral analysis to criminal investigations.
The Certified Criminal Profiler (CCP)® program by McAfee Institute is a distinguished certification designed to develop your expertise in criminal profiling. This program draws on over 25 years of real-world experience in criminal investigations, providing you with the skills to analyze criminal behavior, interpret crime scenes, and understand the intricacies of victimology. The CCP® credential positions you as a leader in criminal profiling, signaling advanced skills in investigative analysis and methodology.
Through a unique blend of self-study, interactive sessions, and instructor-led exercises, the CCP® certification equips you with critical skills for both the private and public sectors. Graduates emerge prepared to tackle complex cases, support law enforcement, and enhance criminal investigations globally.
Everything you need to certify
One enrollment includes the full course library, the official manual, the proctored exam license, and your board credential on completion.
- Official study manual
- Prep review quizzes
- Online training program
- Exam license (1 year)
- 100+ hours of instruction
- Mobile & desktop access
- Board certification (digital + physical)
- 100 CPE / CEU credits
- Closed captions
More Than Just Certifications
Join a comprehensive professional development platform designed exclusively for law enforcement, intelligence, and investigation professionals.
Active Community
Engage with verified professionals in law enforcement and intelligence
Exclusive Jobs
Access career opportunities not listed elsewhere
CPE Tracking
Automatic continuing professional education credit management
Expert Network
Connect with federal agents and industry leaders
Communities
Join private discussion groups with peers
Resources
Articles, whitepapers, tools and more
Three ways to fund your certification.
Self-pay · Military / Gov COOL · Employer-funded
Pay once. Lifetime access included.
3-day money-back guarantee
Interest-free via Affirm or Sezzle. 6–12 month plans available.
Military / Gov COOL eligible? Use DoD/Navy/Army/Coast Guard/Air Force COOL or TA funding — switch to the tab for the invoice request flow.
Need financial help? — available for self-paying students demonstrating financial need.
Enrollment, examination, and policy FAQs
- Our certifications are trusted by more than 4,500 employers, including government agencies, law enforcement departments, intelligence units, and private-sector organizations. Programs are recognized by POST (various states), DoD COOL & CA, NICCS, and the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development.
Not sure if this is the right credential?
Talk to an advisor about eligibility, fit, and funding paths.
Develop the discipline to interpret behavior without overstating what the evidence can prove.
Complete the CCP certification process and document specialized education and assessment in criminal profiling, behavioral evidence, victimology, crime-scene interpretation, investigative interviewing, legal considerations, hypothesis development, and professional case documentation.