Criminal Justice majors may complete an approved internship during their junior or senior year at an approved agency. It is recommended that the internship be completed during the junior year. The primary purpose of the internship is to enhance the students academic experience through a planned and supervised program of observation, study, and work in a selected criminal justice agency or related agencies.
The leaner is responsible for seeking out and securing an internship position with a criminal justice or closely related agency or organization. With the approval of the Department Chair, two criminal justice courses may substitute for the internship, if placement is not possible, or the learner is an in-service officer who already possesses the required job experience and, therefore, should take two criminal justice courses (of 3 credit hours each) in lieu of the internship. The internship experience attracts 6 credit hours.
(Must be a Criminal Studies Major with at least 24 cr. hr. in CRJS)
After successfully completing the course, the learner will be able to:
- Explain the history and development of agency.
- Identify internal and external factors influencing agency function and role.
- Assess agencies strengths and weaknesses.
- Explain how placement has shaped student’s understanding of public safety or justice system.
- Relate experience in experience in agency to organizational theory.
- Apply, integrate, and analyze the criminal justice information received based on
theories and other knowledge and apply them to related problems and changing fact
situations. - Demonstrate ability to write a paper describing and evaluating the overall internship
experience.