Course Name: Criminal Justice Internship

Course Number: CRJ 498

Credits:  6 - 12

Prerequisites:  Senior Status Preferred

***************************

Office Tel. 724.938.1576

Department Secretary: 724.938.4424

Email: Cencich@CUP.edu

Web Page: http://workforce.cup.edu/cencich/

***************************

JOBS

Federal Jobs

Search for Series 1811

Search for Foreign Service Diplomatic Special Agent

Search for Criminal Investigator

------------------

Federal Bureau of Investigation

JOBS

United States Secret Service

---------------

Monster Search:

Internships & Jobs!

Interested in a Career in        Forensic Science?

A.     OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

B.     CATALOG DESCRIPTION

An on-site, experiential learning experience where students work at a variety of justice agencies for academic credit is the central aim of the internship program. Intern locations have included government agencies, police departments, prisons, federal and state law enforcement, private security firms, judicial clerkships, legal offices and legal research concerns. Interns must complete a self-evaluation, perform a series of exercises and assignments, author a log diary and a paper outlining the internship experience, work the required number of field hours, and present an acceptable recommendation from the internship supervisor upon completion of the experience. Attendance at internship seminars for the department is required.

C.  OUTLINE OF THE COURSE

Internships are strongly encouraged for seniors, but planning should start early.  The decision on where you complete your internship is the student's decision after consultation with the Internship Advisor.

Your internship must be for a minimum of six credit hours which involves 225 hours working in the field on your internship.  For nine credit hours you must work 337 hours in the field, and for 12 credit hours, you must work 448 hours.  These credits will normally come out of your criminal justice electives option.  It must be noted that in order for you to utilize 12 credit hours for the internship, you must have twelve unused credits available from the electives category.  The same thing holds true for nine or six credits hours--so plan ahead!

Where do you complete your internship?  Once again, this is your  decision, but you should try to cater your desires to your future career path.  Internships are available locally with police departments, corrections agencies, courts, and parole offices.

You may want to consider an internship at the statewide level such as with the Pennsylvania State Police or the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office.  You can complete a summer internship in the area of your home--even if  in another state.  So what about the New York State Police if you live in that area?

Some of our recent interns have been successfully placed in the following local criminal justice agencies:

• Allegheny County Coroner's Office

• Upper St. Clair Township Police Department

• Fayette County Coroner's Office

• Belle Vernon Police Department

• Washington County Adult Probation

• Washington County Juvenile Probation

• Washington County Sheriff's Office

• Cedar Point Police Department

• Mt. Lebanon Police Department

There may even be those of you who would like to complete an internship with a federal or international agency.  How do any of these  agencies sound to you?

• Federal Bureau of Investigation Honors Program

• Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy Internships

• Other FBI Internships

• Central Intelligence Agency

• Naval Criminal Investigative Service (worldwide internships possible)

• United Nations War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands

• U.S. Marshals Service

• International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) Washington, D.C.

• Interpol Headquarters - Lyon, France

• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

• U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations

• Office of Justice Programs

• Bureau of Justice Assistance - U.S. Dept. of Justice

• Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

• National Criminal Justice Association

• Center for Strategic and International Studies

• International Criminal Tribunal for RWANDA

• International Center for Transitional Justice

• Human Rights Watch

• United States State Department

• National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

• International Law Institute

• American Society of International Law

• United States Secret Service

• The Forensic Panel

Other Law Enforcement Agencies:

• Los Angeles Police Department

• Chicago Crime Commission

• Boston Police Department

• Georgia Bureau of Investigation

• North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation

Some of these programs are extremely  competitive, but experience has shown that those who set their sights high, obtain good marks, and thereafter participate in the internship program, position themselves well for outstanding careers in the field of criminal justice.

Internship Process:

1.    Select the agency you would like to participate with.

2.    Contact Professor Cencich for a meeting to discuss the best way to proceed with the application (this varies from agency to agency).

3.    Complete a University internship application form and any other forms required by the participating criminal justice agency.

4.    The application must be approved by the Internship Advisor. 

5.    After the Internship Advisor has approved the internship, the student may register.  The student must bear in mind, however, that if anywhere along the way the application is disapproved, the student will be required to drop the class.

6.    The application must then be approved by the Department Chair. 

7.    The application must receive the final approval of the Dean.

8.    Your site supervisor must complete an evaluation report or a letter of evaluation including a certification of the number of hours you worked.  This report should discuss your attendance, work ethic, and motivation.  This report, together with your journal, final paper, and responsiveness to the supervising professor will be used in determining your final grade.  

NOTE:  UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN A STUDENT PARTICIPATE IN INTERNSHIP ACTIVITIES UNTIL THEY HAVE RECEIVED CONFIRMATION OF THEIR REGISTRATION FOR THE COURSE.  ALSO, YOU CANNOT ENGAGE IN INTERNSHIP ACTIVITIES BEFORE OR AFTER THE DATES INDICATED ON THE FRONT SIDE OF YOUR APPLICATION FOR THE INTERNSHIP.  ALL INTERNSHIPS MUST BE PAID BEFORE YOU COMMENCE YOUR DUTIES. 

All Internships

1.  Students need to maintain a daily journal of all your activities. (The copy you turn in needs to be typed)

2.  At the end of your internship, you will need to complete a comprehensive report describing in detail your activities, what you learned, and how you intend to apply what you learned in the future.  This paper should be 3 - 5 pages in length.

3.  You will need to obtain a copy of a letter or report written by your site supervisor describing how you performed your duties, worked with others, motivation, and attendance.

4.  You must provide the professor supervising your internship with your journal, final report, and site supervisor's report by may 8, 2006 unless otherwise arranged.     

D.  ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Those students with special needs that may be the result of a disability should contact the instructor before the commencement of the course. The instructor will make every effort to assist the student in matters of cognitive, emotional and behavioral, or medical conditions that affect the learning process.  Students are required to visit the appropriate university offices where proper screening and diagnosis can be done.  This same university authority will issue a written report and a series of instructions that the instructor will abide by. Whether it is special seating, testing environment, tutorial assistance or physical disability assistance, or other accommodation, know the instructor is here to help you succeed.