The Criminal Justice Internship Program

Questions and Answers:

• Am I required to complete an internship?
  • If you are a Legal Studies Major or planning to enroll in the Grand Valley State University Police Academy, you must complete an internship. For regular criminal just majors, an internship is optional.
• If I am required, or, I choose to complete an internship, are there any prerequisites?
  • You must have obtained senior status
  • You must have a minimum 2.3 gpa
  • For Legal Studies students additional prerequisites include
    • LS 301, LS 424, and LS 426. LS 426 may be taken concurrently with the internship.
• Does the university place me in an internship?
  • No, it is the student's responsibility to find an organization in which to complete the internship.
• Ok, how do I go about finding an organization?

There are several ways, friends and or relatives, personal contacts, other students who have found placements, suggestions from instructors, contacting the Internship Coordinator for information on organizations which have taken interns in the past, and or course there is always the old method of knock and talk!

When should I apply for an internship?

• You should begin the process the semester prior to the semester in which you plan to do your internship, for several reasons
• In any organization the number of interns that can be accepted is limited, and are allotted on a first come, first serve bases.
• For most Federal organizations, i.e., US Marshall, FBI, Customs, etc., there is a background check requirement, which can take up to six week, depending on the agencies work load
• District headquarters grants approval for applications to the Michigan State Police, after submission of a request form and fingerprints. Again, depending on the workload, this can take several days.
• Some organizations must plan several weeks in advance, so lead-time is critical.
• If there are problems, we have time to work them out!

How many hours will I be required to dedicate to the internship?

• It will depend on the number of credits for which you are enrolled. Because you may enroll for between one and six credits, the required hours will vary. For example, 200 hours are required for three credits. This amounts to approximately 15 hours per week. Legal Studies and Police Academy students must enroll for a minimum of three credits.

What is the application process?

• The application process is really quite simple
• Meet the requirements, including any prerequisites that may apply
• Fill out an application form
• Submit a current resume, (from high school to present) a letter of introduction, and a print out of you academic record. Get the print out from the universities web site.
• Upon submission of the above you will receive a letter of introduction and an agreement form
• Return the agreement form signed by the on-site supervisor in the organization you will be doing your internship with, and receive a registration permit
• You will receive notification of the time and date for a meeting of all interns via the mail approximately 2 weeks prior to the start of the new semester.

I still have questions, where do I find answers?

• Check the university catalog
• Call the Internship Coordinator at 616-331-7141 or, stop into the office located at the DeVos Center, room 255 C.

RETURN TO GVSU'S SCHOOL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE HOMEPAGE