Criminal Justice and Legal Studies Internships
Jumpstart your career with hands-on experience.
About Criminal Justice and Legal Studies Internships
The Department of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies offers two unique internship opportunities for students enrolled at the University of Mississippi. Want to take your degree from theory to reality? Our internship program lets you dive into the field and gain real-world experience before you graduate.
Here's what we offer:
- CJ 490 - for Criminal Justice students
- LA 495 - for Legal Studies students
Students get 3-6 credits while they shadow professionals in agencies like police departments, courts, and probation offices. Through hands-on experiences students get to build their professional networks and make their resumes stand out from the rest of the pack.
Juniors and Seniors are welcome to apply throughout the year—internship opportunities are available during the fall, spring, and summer. Students are in charge of searching for an internship that aligns with their interests. We encourage students to explore difference agencies and organizations to find the perfect fit!
Interested students should remember a few things before they get started:
- You can't intern where you or a family member already work.
- Make sure to follow the guidelines in the Internship Handbook and Information Sheet.
Application Process and Additional Information
Students interested in the CJ 490 Internship must submit their applications two weeks prior to the beginning of the semester they wish to enroll. For instance, if a student wants to take CJ 490 in the fall, they must submit their application before August 10 of that year.
Important deadline dates to keep in mind:
- January 5 (for the spring semester)
- May 13 (for the summer semester)
- August 10 (for the fall semester)
To make sure that students are properly prepared for securing an internship and successfully applying to CJ 490, we recommend following these steps:
- Decide what internship matches your emphasis area and future plans and when you'd like to enroll in CJ 490
- Reach out to internship sites no later than 4 months prior to your desired semester. If you're interested in a federal internship, you should reach out a year in advance.
- Approach the internship application like you would applying for job, stay professional, keep detailed notes and records.
- Once an internship agrees to work with you, make sure they complete the CJLS Department's Internship Learning Agreement.
- Apply for CJ 490 online and make sure to attach the completed Internship Learning Agreement to your application.
- The Internship Coordinator will review the application and respond via email and request additional information about the site and will approve your request to enroll in the course. We recommend students follow up with us if they don't receive a response in seven days
Once all of these steps are complete, the CJLS Department will enroll students in the course during the desired semester.
For more information please see the CJ 490 Information Sheet and Internships Learning Agreement.
Interested in interning in Atlanta, New York, or Washington? If so, we encourage you to work with the Internship Experience Programs.
Students interested in the LA 495 Internship must submit the Information Sheet and appropriate Learning Agreement to their instructor no later than the last day of classes of the semester before they plan to start their internship. For instance, if a student wants to take LA 495 in the fall, they must submit their application before the last day of the August Intersession.
Important deadline dates to keep in mind:
- January 11 (for the spring semester)
- May 15 (for the summer semester)
- August 8 (for the fall semester)
Students complete the internship as an elective and work a maximum of 135 clock hours on site and receive 3 hours of academic credit.
To make sure that students are properly prepared for securing an internship and successfully applying to LA 495, we recommend following these steps:
- Figure out the right internship site for you and reach out to them. If they're willing to work with you, complete the Internship Learning Agreement. (Remember that this requires signatures from you and your supervisor!)
- Next, you should complete the Student Application Form and Proposed Site Documentation.
- Return all of these documents to your instructor before the deadline (see important deadline dates above).
Interested in interning in Atlanta, New York, or Washington? If so, we encourage you to work with the Internship Experience Programs.