The Criminology and Criminal Justice (CCJS) internship (CCJS 359 and CCJS 398) is a learning experience involving work in a criminal justice or criminological setting.  Interns are expected to gain valuable work experience as well as relevant knowledge which will add to their overall understanding of the field of criminology and criminal justice.  Internship positions must center on learning new material over the course of the semester and interns are expected to participate in ongoing training and development.

Students are responsible for arranging their own internships.  Agency announcements that are submitted to our department are posted for students on the CCJS Undergrad Blog and the University Career Center maintains a database of available jobs and internships through their Handshake website.  Additionally, students are encouraged to search for internships on their own.  Internships must be approved by CCJS Advising prior to the interns start date and beginning of the semester.  Students can download the Internship Contract here.

Internship Objectives

  • Interns are expected to gain valuable work experience as well as relevant knowledge which will add to their overall understanding of the field of Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • Interns will experience training and development in the workplace under professional guidance and supervision
  • Interns will have the opportunity to utilize some of the ideas and theories learned in CCJS courses

Student Eligibility Requirements

  • Students must be a declared CCJS major
  • Students must have a minimum of 56 cumulative credits
  • Students must have a minimum UMD cumulative GPA of at least a 2.50

Internship Eligibility Requirements:

  • The internship must be a new experience for the student, not a continuation of a current internship or one previously completed
  • A second internship with the same agency will be considered if the student is interning in a different division, with a new supervisor, and completing different duties and responsibilities
  • Internships must be an actual internship experience.  While internships may be paid, credit will not be given for jobs either new or previously worked
  • The internship must involve work in the criminology or criminal justice field; internships in the law field must involve solely criminal law
  • Internships must be done on-site with direct supervision; internet or web-based internships are not eligible
  • Students are not permitted to work in a private residence and/or home office
  • Internships must involve work, duties, and responsibilities that are more than secretarial in nature.  Clerical and basic administrative office work will not qualify for a CCJS internship. 

*Internship eligibility is subject to review and change based on the Internship Directors discretion.

How Internship Credit Works:

  • For every 45 hours interned, a student will receive 1 credit
  • Students have from the first day of classes until the last day of classes to complete their internship hours
  • Students can earn a maximum of 6 internship credits per semester and per internship
  • Students can earn up to 12 credits total for internships through CCJS (a maximum of 2 internships at 6 credits each)
  • Students can count a maximum of 12 internship credits towards their degree
  • Internships must be approved by the CCJS Advising Office before the student's first day of interning and prior to the end of schedule adjustment for that term

To Receive Approval:

Students must complete the internship contract with their supervisor and submit the contract to Shannon Sibel at ssibel [at] umd.edu.  Once the internship is approved, the student must set up an appointment with Shannon Sibel to complete the Intern Professional Expectation Agreement (IPEA).  Upon approval of both the internship contract and IPEA, the student can register for the internship class on their own through Testudo.

Please note: Students enrolled in the CCJS Program at the Universities at Shady Grove must submit their internship contracts to the Program Director, Dr. Wendy Stickle.

Assignments

CCJS 359 and CCJS 398 both have four graded components: teamwork/collaboration site observation, time sheets, a supervisor’s evaluation, and reflection paper.  Your grade for this class will be determined by your performance in all four areas.  

Teamwork/Collaboration Site Observation:

An important part of interning at an agency is learning about: different work environments, how people work together, levels of accountability, and understanding an office climate/culture.  Students are required to read through a site observation rubric at the beginning of the internship and keep these concepts in mind. Towards the middle of the internship students will revisit the rubric and answer questions about their internship work environment and their ability to work and thrive in that environment.

Time Sheet:

Interns are required to keep a time sheet which will calculate their total hours worked at their internship. Hours logged must be between the first day of classes through the last day of classes.  Any hours worked either before or after the given dates will not count towards the students required hours for credit.  For every 45 hours worked, the student earns 1 credit. 

Supervisors Evaluation:

At the end of the semester, the intern’s direct supervisor must complete the Supervisor’s Evaluation Form, which must be signed and sent to the attention of CCJS Advising.  This evaluation can be faxed by the supervisor, mailed by the supervisor, e-mailed by the supervisor, or placed in a sealed envelope with a signature from the supervisor and given to the CCJS Advising office by the student.  The evaluation is a confidential document and will NOT be accepted if submitted in any manner other than those mentioned above.

Reflection Paper:

Students are required to complete a reflection paper, in which they will look back at their internship experience and answer several questions regarding their experience. Students must carefully examine their internship and evaluate the experience, keeping in mind their future career and educational goals. Whether a student's internship was a positive or negative experience, the student still learned something about themselves and about that specific field or organization.

More detailed information about the assignments, grades, due dates, handouts, and other materials are posted on a Canvas course website. 

Things to Note:

  • Supervisors will be contacted throughout the semester to verify the student’s schedule, duties, as well as to determine how well the intern is performing their work.
  • In case of illness, students are responsible for notifying their supervisor in advance and providing documentation as needed to verify absences. Failure to properly notify supervisor in advance of absences can have a detrimental effect on the student’s grade.
  • The intern must properly plan to complete the required number of hours (e.g. 135 hours) for the credits they anticipate earning (e.g. 3 credits), during the schedule adjustment period.  Students have until the end of the schedule adjustment period to alter the amount of credits they anticipate earning.

Professional Responsibilities

Students should keep in mind when they are at their internship, they are in a professional working environment.  This is a great opportunity for students to network, gain work experience, develop themselves on a personal level, and earn recommendations for future jobs/graduate school.  Students are expected to act in a professional manner.  While at an internship, students are not just representing themselves, but they are representing the University of Maryland, College Park and the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice.