Criminal Justice

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Criminal Justice Internships

Please make note of the following requirements before applying for a Criminal Justice internship.

  • Students MUST meet with a Criminal Justice Faculty member before pursuing an internship opportunity.
  • Internships are available from 1-8 credits.
  • Students intending to take an internship must have completed at least 90 credits and have a 3.0 GPA in the major.

Although an internship is not required, it can be a very valuable experience.  Students are strongly encouraged to discuss internships with a Criminal Justice Faculty member.  Students should begin this process well before the semester in which they wish to register for the internship.  Internships are a privilege, not a right.  If students demonstrate excellent academic achievement (as evidenced by a 3.0 GPA in the CJ Major), as well as maturity, professionalism, and discretion, they may earn a criminal justice internship. If earned, criminal justice faculty members will work to provide a student intern with an academic experience within a criminal justice agency.

Internships also carry an academic requirement.  To successfully complete the academic portion, students must integrate the field experience with their academic curriculum.  Typically, this is done through periodic consultations with a faculty advisor during the internship and the submission of a related paper or portfolio.

Since criminal justice agencies go out of their way to provide an educational experience for the student, we insist that the student be able to provide something to the agency as well.  We encourage each host agency to put the student’s academic skills to use, particularly in the area of research, analysis, and prison programming.

The criminal justice faculty will make a concerted effort to ensure that student interns receive real-world experience within a criminal justice agency.

The availability of internship positions is limited.  For this reason, academic achievement is not the only criteria necessary to earn an internship.  The faculty evaluation of the student’s professionalism, maturity, and “fit” between the student and agency are all elements in the selection process.