Internship (191-424 and 191-536)

Hands on research experience while you complete you degree

The Internship is offered to Honours and Postgraduate students in Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies and is designed to provide hands-on research experience in a criminal justice related agency. The purpose of the subject is twofold:

First, students gain experience in the operation of a government or community-based agency related to the field of criminal justice.  In the course of undertaking an agreed research project, students enhance their skills of data collection, analysis, report writing, observation, listening and cooperation. Students also have the opportunity to develop appropriate professional contacts.

Second, students gain a more detailed understanding of the relationship between social and criminological theory and the practical operation of a criminal justice agency.

The following is a brief example of some of the many agencies that have interned students in the past:

• The Victoria Police
• The Department of Justice
• The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
• Liberty Victoria
• The Australian Drug Foundation
• The Centre Against Sexual Assault
• The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service
• The Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine
• The Red Cross
• List of other possible agencies

The Criminology Internship is run over two semesters and is worth 25 points in total.

The equivalent of 150 - 170 hours is spent on the agency internship itself, including establishing and conducting the research project and preparing the report (5000 words; worth 70%). In addition, students must also prepare a theoretical essay (3000 words; 25%) and give a short seminar presentation (5%). Up to eight two-hour seminars are run throughout the year to support students undertaking the internship program.

For further information, contact the Department of Criminology, or refer to the entry in the postgraduate handbook: 191-536.