Internships
Internship spotlight:
Criminal justice undergrad lands internship with U.S. Marshal’s Office
Jennifer Pitts, an undergraduate in criminology and criminal justice at Arizona State University, says her ultimate goal is to be a U.S. Marshal and work in witness protection. She’ll be getting a taste of that this spring, as she was recently selected for a highly competitive internship with the U.S. Marshal’s office in Phoenix.
Criminology student helps nab suspect on first day of internship
Eye-opening. That’s what you could call Richie Del Rio’s first day on the job at an internship in the Criminal Intelligence Division of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. It was eye-opening, not only for Del Rio, but for his supervisors. They were amazed at how fast the ASU School of Criminology and Criminal Justice student helped nab a suspect. It all started with a call from a patrol officer who was out of leads on a burglary investigation.
The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Internship
- The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (CCJ) offers students the opportunity to complete an internship for course credit toward their undergraduate or graduate degree. The school partners with community businesses and criminal justice organizations to provide undergraduate and graduate internships.
What is an internship?
- An internship is a professional learning experience that offers students the opportunity to gain new skills, build a professional network and explore their potential career pathway.
Why Complete an Internship:
- Gain a powerful network of relationships in the student's field of interest
- Learn transferrable skills and build resume to leverage in future career
- Gain experience in desired career pathway in order to verify if it's truly a passion
Need help searching for an internship?
Click here to set up a meeting with Ashley Robinson, CCJ Internship Adviser
Internships are offered during the following semesters:
- Fall
- Spring
- Summer
Eligibility
Internships must be directly related to Criminology and Criminal Justice to be eligible for course credit.
Students must meet the following academic requirements to earn course credit for an internship:
Undergraduates: Eligibility for enrollment into CRJ 484
- Minimum of 56 completed credit hours, or Junior status
- Minimum Cumulative GPA of 2.75
- Completed three of the following courses:
- CRJ 100
- CRJ 302
- CRJ 303
- CRJ 304
- CRJ 305
- CRJ 306
- CRJ 309
Graduate Students: Eligibility for Enrollment into CRJ 584
- Enrollment in Graduate Program
- Completion of CRJ 501
Deadline to apply
***Students who apply after the deadline will be considered on a case-by-case basis.***
- Summer semester: April 1
- Fall semester: June 1
- Fall'24 deadline has been extended to Friday, August 23, 2024
- Spring semester: December 1
Course Credit Application Process
Below outlines the process of how to earn credit for an internship. A student must complete the four steps below in order to apply to earn credit for an internship.
Step 1:
MANDATORY- Meet with an Academic Advisor
Meet with an academic adviser to:
- Determine the number of internship credit hours to enroll in.
- Learn how the internship applies to the student's academic curriculum requirements.
- Review the eligibility criteria to ensure the student qualifies.
Please note: A maximum of 6 credits will apply toward undergraduate major or graduate program of study.
Please note: It is not mandatory to complete an internship to graduate.
Step 2:
Meet with a Career Services Advisor
Need a Resume and Cover Letter?
Click here to meet with a Career Services Advisor!
Many agencies request a resume and cover letter from internship applicants. Meet with a Career Services Advisor to get help with:
- creating/editing a resume or cover letter
- exploring career interests
- mock interviews
What is a Resume and Cover Letter
- What is a resume: a short account of one's career and qualifications.
- What is a cover letter: a document that introduces a person to an employer. It highlights a persons specific accomplishments that most benefit the employer.
Step 3:
Search, Apply, and Secure an Internship.
Students must apply to and secure their own internship.
It is recommended to apply to a minimum of three internship agencies.
Need help? Set up a meeting with Ashley Robinson, CCJ Internship Advisor https://calendly.com/ashley-robinson-1-1/30min
Below are some helpful Search Strategies:
- Review and apply with partners through our Community Partner List.
- Create a profile on Handshake to search for internships.
- Search for internships using websites like USAjobs.gov, Indeed.com, LinkedIn.com.
- Complete a Google Search using critical key words.
- Attend Career Fairs and Events found on Handshake. Click on Events, located in the toolbar on the left side of homepage.
- Connect with ASU professors about internships they may know about.
After completing the search, Secure the Internship:
- Submit resume and cover letter to the agencies of student's choice.
- Complete agency interview process.
- Secure official offer of hire.
- Once the internship is secured, schedules are negotiated between the agency and the student.
Step 4:
Apply for an Experience in Handshake. An internship is referred to as an “experience” on Handshake.
A student must receive instructor consent to enroll in CRJ 484 or CRJ 584. To receive consent, the student must complete an Experience Application in Handshake.
****Students must be hired by an internship agency before completing an Experience Application in Handshake.
Students cannot start work at an internship without a signed Student Placement Agreement (SPA) on their profile. The SPA is a form of insurance for the college. The SPA authorizes an internship with the Dean of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Log into Handshake using your ASURite log in and password (If the student doesn't have a Handshake account, create a profile.)
- Click on Career Center
- Click on Experiences
- Click on Submit an Experience
- Enter School of Criminology and Criminal Justice-Internship Request into Template
- Complete Experience application questions including:
- Agency Information
- Student Information
- Site Supervisor Contact Information
- Internship duties
- Eligibility Requirements Confirmation
- Explanation of Internship's direct relationship to Criminology and Criminal Justice
What happens after an Experience Application is Submitted?
1. Our team will evaluate student's application to ensure:
- Student meets academic eligibility.
- The internship is directly related to Criminology and Criminal Justice.
If the student doesn't meet one or both of these standards, the student's internship application will be declined.
2. Student's application must receive three electronic approvals:
- CRJ Internship Coordinator
- Site Supervisor
- Internship Adviser
Handshake will send an email notification to all three signees to prompt them to sign.
3. A signed Student Placement Agreement (SPA) must be added to the student's profile. The SPA must be signed by
- Dean of Watts College
- CRJ Coordinator
- Site Supervisor
4. Once the three electronic approvals and signed SPA are on the student's profile, the student will receive an override (consent) to enroll in the internship course:
Undergraduate Internship Course: CRJ 484
Graduate Internship Course: CRJ 584.
- The student can track the status of your request under the “Experiences” tab in Handshake.
Have questions about earning course credit for an internship or completing an Experience Application?
Click here to set up a meeting with Ashley Robinson, CCJ Internship Adviser
Community Partners
Students have the opportunity to intern at one of more than 15 criminal justice related agencies including law enforcement, courts, corrections, corporate and non-profit. If you are interested in becoming a community partner, please complete the community partner form.
View partner agencies
Credit & contact hours
The charts below outline required work hours necessary to pass the internship course.
- The first chart outlines hours for fall and spring semester.
- The second chart outlines summer hours.
- Work with an academic adviser to determine the number of credits hours to enroll in and apply to your academic curriculum requirements.
- Internships take place during session C for each semester: fall, spring, and summer
The chart below reflects the work hours for the fall and spring semesters.
Summer hours/week are higher because the session is shorter.
See the chart below to for summer hours.
| Course Credit Hours | Hours/Week at Agency Spring/Fall | Hours/Week at Agency 8wk Summer | Total Hours Worked |
| 12 | 36 | N/A | 540 |
| 11 | 33 | N/A | 495 |
| 10 | 30 | N/A | 450 |
| 9 | 27 | N/A | 405 |
| 8 | 24 | N/A | 360 |
| 7 | 21 | N/A | 315 |
| 6 | 18 | 33.75 | 270 |
| 5 | 15 | 28.13 | 225 |
| 4 | 12 | 22.5 | 180 |
| 3 | 9 | 16.875 | 135 |
It is not advised to enroll in more than six credits for the summer due to the short duration of sessions.
Contact Ashley Robinson with questions.
Grading the internship experience
CRJ 484 and CRJ 584 operate on a pass/fail grading system. To pass the course, students must satisfactorily submit all required components on time and complete the required number of internship hours by the end of semester processing.
Internship applicants, please contact:
Ashley Robinson, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions
Arizona State University, Downtown Phoenix Campus
411 N. Central Avenue, Suite 600
Phoenix, AZ 85004-0685
Ashley.Robinson.1@asu.edu
Schedule a meeting here: https://calendly.com/ashley-robinson-1-1/30min
Potential community partner agencies please contact:
Brooks Louton, CRJ Internship Coordinator
Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions
Arizona State University, Downtown Phoenix Campus
411 N. Central Avenue, Suite 600
Phoenix, AZ 85004-0685
Arizona State University, Downtown Phoenix Campus
411 N. Central Avenue, Suite 600
Phoenix, AZ 85004-0685
brooks.louton@asu.edu