CRIMINAL JUSTICE INTERNSHIP AND PRACTICUM
SYLLABUS
Instructor: Dr. Tom O'Connor

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COURSE DESIGNATION: CRJ 4860 Criminal Justice Internship (6 semester hours)

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND PREREQUISITES: (no catalog description) This elective course involves a student selecting a site themselves or being recommended to a site by CRJ faculty or APSU staff. There is some flexibility in what constitutes an appropriate work site, but it should be connected with a field of study which would normally include: law enforcement agencies, prisons, probation and parole offices, social service organizations, governmental agencies, department store security firms, research institutions or foundations, judicial, legal, or political offices, and homeland security or emergency management organizations. Interns are admitted into the program only by joint permission of their advisor and the CRJ program manager. The course is designed to provide practical on-the-job experiences which augment in-class experiences. The internship is NOT designed to be a substitute for ordinary or elective coursework, and the internship is designed to follow the school's regular term scheduling. The best internships are planned well in advance. (Prerequisites: declared major and senior status)

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

1. To acquire an understanding of the laws pertaining to the type of work the agency does
2. To understand the daily operations of the agency
3. To examine the historical evolution of the agency
4. To analyze, synthesize, and generalize about the agency and what was learned in classes
5. To articulate an assessment of performance at the agency and skill levels required
6. To articulate a self-assessment of whether the agency or line of work is a desirable career
7. To appreciate the complexities of a criminal justice organization

GENERAL EDUCATION GOALS:

In addition to the above objectives, the more general goals of this course are to provide the student with the following tools to help develop his or her potential:
1. Development of the student's analytical thinking capabilities through comparison and contrast in the application of theories and concepts to social problems
2. Enhancement of the student's literacy skills through assigned readings, discussions, examinations, and other requirements
3. Utilization of the historical perspective which helps with student understanding of evolutionary developments over time
4. Understanding of the scientific method through research requirements and in-depth case studies
5. Improvement in social interaction skills and understanding human behavior through consideration of the impact legal and social systems have on individuals
6. Increased student awareness of cultural and multi-cultural issues through study of how social problems and social movements are related to, and affect, minority groups
7. Preparation for more advanced study in criminal justice/homeland security

CONTENT OUTLINE:

Week 1: no readings

Week 2: no readings

Week 3: no readings

Week 4: no readings

Week 5: no readings

Week 6: no readings

Week 7: no readings

Week 8: no readings

REQUIRED LEARNING RESOURCES:

Main Textbook/Required Textbook: none

Supplemental Reference: American Psychological Association. (1994). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5e. Washington DC: APA.

Additional Learning Resources at Instructor's website for course at http://www.apsu.edu/oconnort/

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Students are expected to read and follow the schedule in the course syllabus, to read assigned text chapters, to read assigned Lecture Notes, and to seek and read additional suggested resources as provided by the textbook and Instructor.  In addition, students are expected to be alert and attentive with note taking in class and have a demonstrated desire to participate in any discussion.  Exams are to be completed within the deadlines given by the Instructor, and any special instructions for the paper assignment are to be followed precisely.  The Instructor's website for the course contains deadlines and instructions.    

BASIS AND METHODS FOR GRADING:

25% Midterm Evaluation (form from site supervisor to instructor)
35% Final Evaluation (form from site supervisor to instructor)
25% Written Project (regardless of form, some kind of written project must be produced related to the internship experience)
15% Participation and Discussion (Daily logs and/or weekly contact)

Explanations:

25% & 35% - These are forms (available at this website under the Assignments button above or as pdf).  The evaluations of whomever is supervising the intern at the work site carries a lot of weight. These forms should be printed out and sent to the instructor before the end of the term.

25% - The written project may be an organizational analysis of the agency, a crime analysis of the area the agency protects, a survey of workers in the agency, or a proposed policy change which reflects the agency’s goals. The project must be a reflection of information gained through the internship experience and should be supported by the site supervisor and/or employees. The paper, regardless of type, must adhere to the American Psychological Associations (APA) writing style manual and confirm to Senior Level standards. Although not a rigid requirement, papers should try to achieve twelve pages in length and be grounded in the current literature in the field.

15% - While a daily log or journal should be kept by the student, it is not necessary to turn that in. A once-weekly telephone call or email to the instructor informing them about how the internship is going will suffice.

The grade scale used in this course is a 7-point scale, as follows:

A = 93-100
B = 86-92
C = 78-85
D = 70-77
F = 69/below

ATTENDANCE POLICY: An attendance roster is kept (or not kept, if this is a web-based course), and students are expected to attend all sessions on time and as scheduled. If a session and/or assignment deadline is to be missed for circumstances beyond the student's control, prior permission of the instructor must be obtained, and arrangements made for submission of the work. Regular late submission of work as well as tardiness and absenteeism will result in reduction of the final grade by at least one letter, depending upon severity. An "Incomplete" can only be given if the student has normally completed at least half the coursework, has a reasonable justification, and makes arrangements with the instructor.

DISABILITY POLICY: Any student who has a disability that may affect his/her academic performance is encouraged to make an appointment with me to discuss this matter, or you may contact Disability Services; telephone 221-6230; voice 221-6278; voice tty.

POLICY ON MINORS: Minors (any non-student under the age of 18) accompanying staff, faculty, students, or visitors on campus are not permitted in the classroom.

ACADEMIC AND CLASSROOM MISCONDUCT: Students are expected to conduct themselves appropriately at all times. Academic and classroom misconduct will not be tolerated. Students must read the "Code of Student Conduct" in the new Student Handbook for an understanding of what will be expected of them within the academic setting. Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated, and any student found cheating or plagiarizing will receive an "F" for the work in question, and possibly an "F" for the course, and may be recommended for suspension from the University.  Cheating is defined as not working on exams or assignments alone, and plagiarism is defined as taking the work of someone else's as one's own.  APSU uses software that will identify plagiarism.

The above schedule and procedures are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.

Last updated: Dec. 22, 2007
Not an official webpage of APSU, copyright restrictions apply, see Megalinks in Criminal Justice
O'Connor, T.  (Date of Last Update at bottom of page). In Part of web cited (Windows name for file at top of browser), MegaLinks in Criminal Justice. Retrieved from http://www.apsu.edu/oconnort/rest of URL accessed on today's date.