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The School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University gives students opportunities to receive academic credit for participating in the internship program with approved criminal justice agencies.
The program is the oldest such program in the country, dating back to the founding of the school in 1935. An internship provides the first relevant work experience for students while serving as a capstone to educational programs. For these reasons the school generally limits internship availability to students who have attained junior status (undergraduate only) and have an overall grade point average of at least 2.5.
The internship program offers a planned program of observation, participation, and study in a selected criminal justice agency. In a single 15-week semester, students may work 10 to 40 hours per week as arranged with their internship agency.
The criminal justice internship coordinator meets with each student prior to placement to discuss career goals and identify agencies of interest. During the internship, each student should be assigned to a field supervisor who discusses the work that will be done and assists the student in determining placement objectives. More than three out of five criminal justice students participate in the internship program before graduating.
CJ 494, CJ 894 and FRS 894 are graded on the Pass-No Credit system. A "pass" is based on completion of contact hours required by the school and the agency, as well as course requirements that include orientation, a learning objective statement, progress report, weekly journal reports, a final paper and performance evaluation by the agency.
If you are interested in a field placement or internship credits, please contact Career Development and Internship Coordinator Tim Homberg at 517-432-3197 or hombergt@msu.edu.
Agencies are not required to compensate students. Most agencies reimburse for mileage and related costs incurred in the performance of agency duties. Where stipends or salaries are provided, details are worked out between agency and student, but compensation does not affect internship status.
The minimum number of work/contact hours per credit for 15-week programs are listed below. Some agencies require more contact hours than these minimums set by the school. Hours per week may vary but total hours may not. Individual work schedules are negotiated between agencies and interns.
12 Credits - 36 Hrs/Week - 540 Total Hours
11 Credits - 33 Hrs/Week - 495 Total Hours
10 Credits - 30 Hrs/Week - 450 Total Hours
09 Credits - 27 Hrs/Week - 405 Total Hours
08 Credits - 24 Hrs/Week - 360 Total Hours
07 Credits - 21 Hrs/Week - 310 Total Hours
06 Credits - 18 Hrs/Week - 270 Total Hours
05 Credits - 15 Hrs/Week - 225 Total Hours
04 Credits - 12 Hrs/Week - 180 Total Hours
03 Credits - 09 Hrs/Week - 135 Total Hours
Students interns are expected to:
(CJ494, CJ894, FRS 894)
Interns must:
Internships are available during fall, spring and summer semesters. Positions may be paid or unpaid, task-oriented or observational. Approved internships will expose students to new learning experiences.
Students may:
Students enrolled in an MSU internship course have an official relationship with the university and are thus protected from lawsuits. Hospitalization and health care costs are not covered by the university or the hosting agency. Each student must sign an insurance/liability statement certifying possession of a health insurance policy. Affordable coverage is available through MSU.
There are many benefits of internships. Students can: