Program Overview

Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy (PRLEA)

The Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy (PRLEA) is a program authorized by the National Park Service (NPS) to conduct seasonal law enforcement training for park rangers. Students who graduate from the Temple University Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy (PRLEA) will have met the training requirements for certification that is required to serve as a seasonal law enforcement ranger in the National Park Service (NPS).

Overview

The PRLEA is over 700 contact hours of instruction and is academically rigorous. Classes are conducted on a full-time basis, five days per week, eight hours per day, and require approximately eighteen (18) weeks to complete. Enrollment is comprised of up to twenty-six (26) students in each class. All students commute to training each day, although local, off-campus housing options exist.

Curriculum

The federally approved curriculum includes training in:

• Communications skills
• Human relations
• Driver training
• Ethics
• Basic tactics and self-defense
• Patrol procedures
• Federal criminal law and procedure
• Firearms, among other subjects Students are required to successfully complete numerous written examinations and skill performance evaluations in order to graduate. Proper demeanor, grooming, dress, punctuality, and attention to duty are a part of the training regimen.

Additional Training

Temple University's PRLEA offers training beyond the core curriculum required by the National Park Service - Law Enforcement Training Center (NPS-LETC). Students who graduate from the PRLEA will leave having completed:

• Thirteen weeks of physical fitness conditioning
• Training with a state-of-the-art firearm simulator
• Practice with less-than-lethal force options in oleoresin capsicum aerosol (pepper spray), expandable baton, and electronic control weapons
• Learned how to properly take fingerprints
• Become familiarized with proper protocols for securing crime scenes
• Understanding of the sensitive subject of law enforcement suicide and learned techniques in stress management
• Advanced instruction in the use of force, report writing, courtroom testimony, operational leadership, and professional conduct

Basic Eligibility

To be eligible for the PRLEA, applicants must:

• Be a minimum of twenty-one (21) years of age, by the time of PRLEA completion
• Be a U.S citizen
• Hold a valid driver's license
• Submit a medical and psychological exam that meets standards
• Submit a drug screen
• Provide criminal and driving history that meet standards
• Provide proof of college credits (Unofficial transcripts will be accepted)
• Copy of a DD 214 if applicable
• Submit a reference letter

Application Fee

The application fee for the PRLEA is $50.00.

Upcoming Classes

The upcoming class is scheduled to start on August 12, 2024.