The CCJ 404 Internship course provides senior-level students an opportunity to obtain valuable work experience within the field of criminology and criminal justice, apply knowledge and skills learned through prior coursework, and explore career opportunities related to criminology and criminal justice. Eligibility is limited to criminology and criminal justice majors -who have achieved senior status (135+ credit hours).
The Internship has both a field and academic component each worth half of the student's course grade. Students volunteer 200 hours at an approved internship site over a ten-week academic quarter. In addition, there is a required classroom component with meetings at the start and near the end of the academic term. With prior approval from the CCJ Internship coordinator and agency supervisor, students may begin their internship hours up to one term prior to when they formally enroll in the CCJ 404 course as long as the student has achieved senior status by the time of enrollment. Volunteer or paid internship hours accrued earlier than one term prior to when the student enrolls in the internship course will not be counted toward the student's required 200 hours. As well, students must complete all of their 200 hours by the end of the term in which they are enrolled in the Internship course.
In the event that a student is accepted by their internship agency after the required first day of class, the student will need to enroll in the Internship course the following term (fall, winter, spring, or summer). While late course admissions are not permitted, as noted above, students may count completed hours toward the following term with permission from the CCJ Internship coordinator/Internship course professor. Please note: all 200 internship hours must be completed with the same agency and the agency cannot be the same agency where the student is already employed.
To adequately prepare, please: allow a minimum of two terms prior to course enrollment to research and apply for an internship: best practices recommend the very beginning of a student's senior year. A helpful consideration to note is that each community partner is independent with its own unique requirements and practices; some agencies process applications and complete background checks in two months while other agencies can take up to six months. Similarly, while most agencies only require that students serve lengthier commitments (i.e.,>3 months) or more hours. To better understand the goals of an internship to maximize the largest number of internship opportunities for students, the CCJ Internship Program recommends reviewing the "Steps to Obtaining an Internship" document below before beginning the research process.
Steps to Obtaining an Internship (PDF)
Internship Petition Process
For some CCJ majors completing a 200-hour internship agency placement internship presents an undue hardship and/or significant barrier to degree completion. In lieu of completing the internship, students can petition the CCJ undergraduate committee to have their case reviewed. If approved, students must successfully complete 8 credits of additional CCJ upper-division elective coursework. Please review the links below for additional information about the petition process.
CCJ Internship Requirement Petition Process
CCJ Internship Requirement Petition Form