Internships

A criminal justice internship is a unique opportunity to gain practical, hands-on work experience in a professional environment.

Students can earn college credit, gain professional work experience and network with professionals in their field. This is your chance to make contributions to an organization and to demonstrate your potential value as a full-time employee after graduation. Internships take place either during the fall or spring semester. All students are invited to apply for the internship course that supports you in your application to and completion of an internship. Space in the course is limited each term and requires submission of a timely application to the designated Internship Coordinator. Most internship opportunities in the criminal justice field are competitive and have an application process.

Internship Course Eligibility

• Criminal Justice applicants must have:
  • Completed 90 credits by the start of the internship
  • Maintained a 3.0 GPA
  • Confirmed internship site
• All 4+1 students are required to complete an internship and are given priority in placement into the internship course
• Fall applications are due late January of the previous semester
• Spring applications are due early October of the previous semester

Internship Site Eligibility

• Choose up to three internship sites you are interested in applying to at either the federal, state or local level
• Locate the agency’s internship information online and check your eligibility to participate
• If eligible, complete the agency’s application process, using the guidance of the internship coordinator on how to submit a professional application
• If the agency does not post an internship application, contact the agency directly or speak to your internship coordinator for guidance on next steps
• Due to COVID, some agencies have either eliminated internships until further notice or reduced the number of interns accepted and/or the nature of the work performed in the internship

Factors Affecting Eligibility

Factors for internships and employment are agency-dependent considerations. Students have some control over and should be aware of these factors to be employable in the CJ fields. Some factors to consider may include:

• Vision requirements
• Physical fitness requirements
• Tattoo visibility
• Social media posts
• Completion of drug testing, polygraph examinations, psychological screening, physical and medical examinations
• Background checks
  • drug usage
  • criminal history
  • driving records
  • credit history
  • personal associations
  • and/or past work performance

Benefits of an Internship

An internship in criminal justice or forensic science/crime scene investigation provides you with the opportunity to:

• Gain valuable work experience in your area of interest before graduating to enhance your resume 
• Find out about additional job possibilities
• Develop your intellectual, problem-solving and leadership skills
• Network with professionals in the CJ field
• Gain a sense of self-confidence and professionalism
• Bring classroom theory and learning to life in a real-world experience
• Increase your job marketability in the CJ field
• Clarify your interests, narrow your focus, and define your career goals