Criminology and Criminal Justice

Internships
CRIM 4360 Course Description:

This course provides students the opportunity to integrate traditional learning exercises with practical experience in the criminal justice system. Prerequisites: CRIM 1301 and CRIM 2330.

Student Eligibility

In addition to completing the course prerequisites, the internship course is available to any student who has completed 6 advanced hours at TAMU-SA and has an institutional GPA of 2.8 or higher.

Early coordination with the Internship Coordinator (Dr. Durant Frantzen) and the selected agency is critical. Agencies often require an extended period of time to approve an internship application.

Enrollment Procedures

For the semester or term in which the course is taken, students must register in accordance with the registration dates published in the TAMU-SA Registration Calendar. Students may not register late. It is highly recommended that students begin preparing for the internship selection/registration process one (1) semester prior to the term in which the course is actually taken.

It is highly recommended that students have an internship offer in place from an approved internship agency before registering for CRIM 4360. It is your responsibility to find your own internship site using the Directory of Internships as a guide.

How to enroll in the internship

1. Decide Where to Intern

• If you don’t have an agency in mind, start by thinking about the type of experience you want – law enforcement, probation, courts, private security.
• Once you have decided the type of agency, think about location – San Antonio, Boerne, Live Oak, etc.
• If you need suggestions on where to intern or names of people to contact, please examine the Directory of Internship Placements to help you examine your options and point you towards agencies that match your career goals. 

2. Contact Desired Agency

It is the student’s responsibility to contact the agency person-of-contact (POC) and inquire about the application requirements. How should you begin the conversation? Start by introducing yourself as a student at TAMU-SA interested in internship opportunities with their agency. You should say something like “Hello, my name is _______. I am a student at Texas A&M-San Antonio and I am interested in applying for an internship with your agency. Could I please speak with the person that handles student internships?

Every agency has their own application and screening processes. Generally speaking, federal agencies have a longer application process than do local or state agencies. You will need to speak with the POC at the agency to determine the application process. Agency application requirements can include, but are not limited to:

• An orientation
• Oral Interview
• Background Check
• Fingerprinting
• Psychological Screening
• Personality Index
• Resume
• Prerequisite Course/Minimum GPA

Internship offers are at the discretion of the agency, not the internship coordinator. This means you may need to apply at several places before getting accepted somewhere. Once a student has completed the agency’s application procedures and been offered an internship by the agency, the student must notify the internship coordinator to let them know their start date.

3. Register for CRIM 4360

Before registering for CRIM 4360, you will need to get the approval of the Internship Coordinator. This can be done through email or by phone. I will need to know what agency you are apply for or have been accepted at, then I will send a message to the advising department letting them know you can register for the course. The Internship Coordinator will verify that you have the prerequisite classes and minimum GPA, and have identified an approved agency. If you do not have the minimum GPA or advanced hour requirement, you will be asked to drop the course. The instructor also reserves the right to drop you if necessary.

4. Begin Your Internship

You must complete 100 hours with your agency. All training sessions and agency orientations count toward the 100 hours. Driving from home to the agency and meal breaks will not be counted as internship hours. Meet with your agency to establish your schedule; which days of the week you will work and what times. The schedule you arrange is between you and the agency as long as you reach 100 hours by the end of the semester. Failing to perform the required site hours will result in you receiving an F or incomplete (I) in the course, the latter option is only available under certain conditions (see catalog for criteria for a grade of “I”.

5. Writing Assignments

There are several required writing assignments for CRIM 4360. Requirements are listed in the course syllabus.

6. Agency Evaluation

Your agency supervisor will complete an evaluation of your performance. The evaluation form will be available on Blackboard. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the evaluation form to their supervisor. The supervisor will complete the form and email it directly to the Internship Coordinator. The evaluation accounts for 15% of the student’s final grade.

For more information, contact:
Durant Frantzen, Internship Coordinator
Department Chair, Social Sciences

Central Academic Building, 348-A
210-784-2205
Email: dfrantze@tamusa.edu