Undergraduate Internship:

 

Our internship program (CRJU 498) is one of three options for fulfilling the program's capstone course requirement. It's a popular option with substantial experiential benefits, enhanced through internship-specific class work and academic assignments. (prq. Senior Standing and CRJU 201, 202,331, 335, 354, 406, 410, 420, and 430. CRJU 430 may be taken concurrently.) (See the catalog description for CRJU 498). 

Please read the following instructions very carefully!  It is important that all students follow these guidelines when considering an internship!


Student eligibility criteria are as follows:
 
► An overall Grade Point Average of 2.50;
 
► Academic standing as a senior (students should have earned a minimum of 84 credits);*
 
► Prerequisites are senior standing and CRJU 201, 202,331, 335, 354, 406, 410, 420, and 430. CRJU 430 may be taken concurrently.
 
► Consent of appropriate supervising agency personnel and
the BSU Department of Criminal Justice;
 
► Completion of a formal application and an interview
with the Department's Internship Coordinator at least one month before the application deadline; and,
 

The internship application must be completed and signed by all parties (student, internship coordinator, student's academic adviser and the department chair) and submitted to the internship coordinator no later than the following dates:


Applications for Summer & Fall 2013 must be completed by May 6, 2013


 Late applications will not be considered. It is the student's responsibility to obtain the required signatures. Interested students schedule an appointment with Dr. Mia Ortiz, the internship coordinator, to discuss eligibility, potential internship site, and the application process before the application deadline. Dr. Ortiz is available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays by appointment.
 
* May be waived if all Criminal Justice classes, except CRJU 430, have been completed.


The process for seeking internships:
 

  Step One:   Schedule an appointment to meet with Dr. Ortiz during the semester PRIOR to the term when you intend to complete the internship. You must bring your degree audit to the meeting and be prepared to discuss:
 
  → Your overall GPA to determine eligibility;
 
  → Discuss your plans, goals and objectives to help determine (when and where appropriate) what types of internship might work best for you;
 
  → Determine the number of credits you intend to take, from three to fifteen hours.*** General guidelines are as follows:
 
    ∞  45 hours of work = 1 credit hour;
 
    ∞ 135 hours of work= 3 credit hours;
 
    ∞ Only three credits may be applied toward the Criminal Justice program. Additional credits will be applied as free electives and counted towards the 120 credits required for graduation. If a student desires more credit hours, such hours should fit the parameters of the student's overall degree plan;****
       
    *** In consultation with the Internship Coordinator, credit hours must be determined PRIOR to enrollment. Hours cannot be increased after enrollment.

****In rare instances students can apply for more than 15 credits but they must first have the explicit and written approval of both the faculty internship coordinator and department chair. (This additional option usually applies to a small subset of honors students who have completed all or most of their course requirements).


 

  Step Two: Schedule an appointment with the Department's Internship Coordinator (currently, Dr. Mia Ortiz). Prior to the meeting with the Coordinator, please take the following steps:
 
  → If you do not have an internship application, you can pick one up at Career Services in the basement of RCC or one can be downloaded from
the registrar's online site.< click here for the form. >
 
  → Fill out the application prior to your meeting with the faculty internship coordinator;
 
  → If you do not have an idea on where to find an internship, prior to completing the application, you may schedule a preliminary meeting with the department's internship coordinator to explore possible sites;
 
    During your meeting with the Department's Internship Coordinator, the Coordinator will
 
    √  Check the application for completeness;
 
    √

Ensure that the internship site is an appropriate one;
 
    √ Inform you about grading requirements which involve the keeping of a journal;
 
    √

Discuss additional and required documentation for the course, which includes an evaluation process (a form filled out by the agency on-site internship supervisor) and the composition of a 8-10 page paper, at the end of the project/term.
 
    √ At the end of the interview, the Internship Coordinator will submit the application to the Department Head for final departmental approval. The application will then be forwarded to the Registrar's Office for processing and enrollment into the course.
           

 

  Step Three: Students MUST ATTEND a classroom meeting every third week of the semester, where they will be able to discuss and process various aspects of his/her internship experience. Activities include (but are not limited to) the following:
  → Active listening to and providing feedback on student peer experiences;
 
  → Structured reflection activities;
 
  → Specific "how to" instructions on the following:
 
    ∞  Keeping a journal;
 
    ∞ Resume construction;
 
    ∞ Format and content requirements for the final paper;
 
    ∞ And, finally, discussion of questions about the internship experience, and the process of representing that experience, as such questions emerge.
 

 

 

Please do not start an internship before completing the application
process!  You may discover that your GPA renders you ineligible
for academic credit.  You may not receive retroactive credit for an
internship completed before the submission of the requisite
application or completed while attending another academic institution. 

 

 


Additional Questions?
Contact the Internship Coordinator:

Mia Ortiz, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Internship Coordinator - Spring 2013
Maxwell Library, 311F
Tel: (508) 531-2427
Email: mia.green@bridgew.edu 



 

 

Last Modified: February 15, 2013

Contact Info

Criminal Justice Department
Bridgewater State University
Maxwell Library Room 311
10 Shaw Road
Bridgewater, MA 02325
Tel: 508.531.2107
Fax: 508.531.4107
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