Experiential Learning

Four walls can’t contain an entire education. That’s why, at Richmond, most students extend their educations by participating in experiential learning opportunities. They’re the chance to take what you’ve learned in the classroom and apply it to the real world, either via research, an internship, service or study abroad.

Internships

With the City of Richmond at students’ disposable, most criminal justice students don’t have difficulty finding internships that test their academic skills and help them question and solidify their career goals. Students frequently apply to internships offered through the three surrounding counties’ police departments (Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico) along with the City of Richmond Police Department. Since Richmond is Virginia’s state capital, many state agencies are all also based nearby. Students interested in national opportunities love the fact that Richmond is only an hour and a half away from Washington, D.C. and agencies like the F.B.I. and the C.I.A.

Any criminal justice major can complete an internship independently during the summer or academic year. Students may choose to receive academic credit, however, if they enroll in Criminal Justice 388: Individual Internship (three credit hours). To quality for internship credit, students must secure faculty sponsorship and be declared criminal justice majors.

Students enroll in the course prior to beginning the internship and must complete 120 hours of work on site. In addition, students are required to maintain a journal of work experiences, complete an analytical paper that relates the experience to their coursework and fulfill any additional requirements outlined by the faculty sponsor. Interns are expected to maintain bi-weekly contact with their faculty sponsor and submit progress reports throughout the semester.  

Study Abroad

Students may spend much of their classroom time learning about police, courts and corrections within the American scope of justice, but that doesn’t mean that professors don’t incorporate international lessons that speak to broader issues of morality and justice. A summer, semester or year spent studying abroad can help students better understand the American system of justice, with all its benefits and flaws, especially when they’ve experienced another system firsthand. Often, students return from an experience abroad excited about the opportunity to pursue advanced study, but regardless of outcome, the experience always proves to be life-changing.

To find out more about studying abroad, visit the Office of International Education.