CLS Internship Program

Gaining experience in the field is one of the most valuable pieces to a student's academic experience. On average, students graduating with a bachelor's degree have completed 2 or more internships during their time in school. The CLS Internship Program provides students the opportunity to earn academic credit for professional internship work that they conduct in the field.  Internships allow students to observe how academic theories are put into practice, and provide valuable skills, experience and contacts for post-collegiate career choices and graduate work. 

About the CLS Internship Program

The CLS Internship Program consists of two courses completed across two semesters.

First Semester:

CRIM 479 - Preparation for Internship (3 credits)

Prerequisite: CRIM 100

To receive academic credit for an internship students must first successfully complete CRIM 479, a course designed to help students develop and refine professional and personal skills essential to a successful transition into the professional workplace. Coursework includes research about organizations and careers, opportunities to network with organization representatives, guidance on the job application process, and development of plans for a research project that is required for CRIM 480, the second course in the Internship Program.

Second Semester:

CRIM 480 - Internship (6-12 credits*)

Prerequisites: CRIM 479, CRIM 306 and CRIM 315

After successfully completing CRIM 479, students who have accepted a specific internship offer are then eligible to earn academic credit for their internship work via CRIM 480. In addition to the required work hours (detailed below), CRIM 480 students must also meet for three mandatory class meetings, and accomplish a number of additional academic requirements, including completing an original research project relating to their internship work.

* The amount of credits that an individual student is required to complete for CRIM 480 varies by catalog year. Please consult your academic advisor for clarification.

Work Hours to Credit:

To receive academic credit for an internship students must complete 45 work hours per credit.  

  • 6 credits = 270 hours
  • 9 credits = 405 hours
  • 12 credits = 540 hours

How to Register for CRIM 480 (Internship):

CRIM 480 is a controlled course; therefore, students must first obtain permission from the CLS Internship Director to register for the class. Students will not be approved to register for CRIM 480 without successfully completing CRIM 479 in a previous semester and having an internship offer extended to them. There are no exceptions to this policy.