Program Overview

Field Experience in Criminal Justice

The Field Experience in Criminal Justice course provides criminal justice majors with practical learning experience.

Course Description

In this course, students will spend a minimum of 150 hours throughout the semester observing and interacting with professionals in the field, focusing on tasks encountered by persons employed at an agency. The course objectives include:

• Receiving course credit for learning in the field
• Exploring career options
• Developing work skills
• Learning about the requirements and qualifications of certain positions
• Relating academics to practice
• Networking with professionals who can later serve as references, points of contact, and sometimes even employers

Possible Positions

Positions with a wide variety of agencies are possible, including (but not limited to) those in the areas of:

• Law enforcement
• The courts
• Probation
• Juvenile services
• Victim services
• Homeland security
• Cyber security
• Loss prevention
• Prisoner re-entry A second Field Experience in Criminal Justice course may be completed for elective credit.

Requirements

The requirements for the Field Experience in Criminal Justice course are:

• Completed CRJU 15000 with a minimum grade of C
• Senior status
• Acquire an agency internship with assistance from the Criminal Justice Coordinator
• Enroll in CRJU 44300 Field Experience in Criminal Justice

Testimonials

Student and agency testimonials highlight the value of the Field Experience in Criminal Justice course. For example:

• A student internship with the Lynwood Police Investigations Division provided hands-on experience working with a team of detectives.
• The Criminal Justice Internship Program at Purdue Northwest is structured to provide students with an excellent opportunity to connect coursework to a Criminal Justice agency.