EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING/INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
INTERNSHIP APPLICATION
Students who are interested in conducting an internship will need to fill out an internship application. Applications need to be filled out at least one to three months prior to beginning an internship. This application can be obtained in LS315 or Career Services.
INTERNSHIP REQUIREMENTS
The internship program is designed to provide students with an introduction to the field of criminal justice as a profession. Students are expected to gain valuable information which will add to their overall understanding of the field of criminal justice. Each student is required to complete a minimum of 120 hours in an assigned field placement so that he/she can obtain familiarity with one area of the criminal justice fields. Students are limited to a maximum of 6 credit hours which must be approved by the faculty internship supervisor. Students must obtain approval by the faculty internship supervisor prior to beginning the internship.
This course is on a pass/fail basis. In order to pass the course, students must complete 120 hours of fieldwork and the required coursework by the end of the semester. If students have not completed the 120 hours of field work by the end of the semester, they will receive an incomplete (College Catalog 2005-2007, pg 51). If students have completed the required number of hours and have not completed the required coursework, an F will be submitted as a grade.
The following criteria must be met by all student interns:
- Students must be criminal justice majors.
- Students must have completed a minimum of 60credits prior to the commencement of the internship.
- Students must have a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.5 at the time of application.
- Work 40 hours per credit over the course of the internship.
- Students must register for the internship. However, students are required to obtain an approval form from their internship advisor prior to registering. The registrar will not permit students to register without this approval slip.
- The Agency Supervisor and the prospective intern must fill out the attached placement form and take it to the faculty internship supervisor at York College of Pennsylvania for approval. Once the internship is approved, the student must register for the internship class.
FIELD PLACEMENT PROCESS
Students are responsible for arranging their own internships. Click here for a list of participating agencies or the student may find an internship position on their own. Once the internship is approved, the student must register for the class (CJA 360; 3 credits or CJA 361; 6 credits).
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
Daily Journal
Student interns are required to keep a daily journal which includes the date, times, summary of daily observations, activities involved in each day of the internship, and an analysis of your experience (each journal entry is approximately ½ page typed). The faculty internship supervisor will determine when the journal entries are due (weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, etc,).
Hours of Fieldwork
Students are expected to document the number of hours worked daily. At the end of each week, the agency supervisor’s signature will be required to verify the number of hours worked each week. The hours of fieldwork signed by the supervisor must be submitted with your daily journal entries. Click here to download fieldwork log.
Report on Field Agency
You will be expected to write a report on the agency. You must address the following in your report: (a) name and location of agency (b) purpose and function of agency (c) description of target population and services delivered (d) operating budget and funding sources (e) type of agency (f) policy-making process (g) methods of program evaluation (h) your role as an intern (i) the education, training, and other requirements for an entry level position with the agency (j) the starting salary for an entry level position with the agency.
Each student should schedule an interview with the agency supervisor in order to address the above questions. If he/she is unable to answer your questions, you may wish to schedule an interview with the agency administrator.
Resume and Cover Letter
Each student must prepare a resume (include current internship) and a cover letter and must have Career Services review each. Students will need to submit the original and final resume/cover letter to the faculty internship supervisor.
Thank You Note
Each student is required to write a “thank you” note to the agency supervisor. A copy of the thank you note must be submitted to the faculty internship supervisor at the end of the internship.
EVALUATIONS
Three evaluations will need to be completed at the end of each internship (agency supervisor evaluation of student intern, student intern evaluation of faculty supervisor, and student intern evaluation of agency and agency supervisor).
Each student must have the agency supervisor complete a student evaluation form. The student will not receive a grade until the student evaluation form is handed in to the faculty internship supervisor.
Each student must complete a Student Intern Evaluation of Faculty Supervisor. This form must be mailed to Dr. Joshua Landau, Chair of Behavioral Sciences Department.
Each student must complete a Student Intern Evaluation of Internship Agency and Agency Supervisor. This form must be mailed or delivered to the faculty internship supervisor at York College.
DEADLINES
All materials are due to Dr. P. J. Verrecchia (LS300) on or before the last day of classes in a semester (not the last day of finals).