FIVS 484 is an independent study and supervised field experience within a forensic science discipline. This internship must be directly connected to forensic science with an agency engaged in forensic investigations or applications.
Requirements
It is the student’s responsibility to seek out and identify an internship opportunity for their credit. Please note agencies may have their own application process and deadlines which will likely be earlier than the department’s application deadlines provided at the end of this page.
Learning Outcomes
- Recognize the scientific method and apply it to a problem/solution.
- Describe problem-solving principles and organize typical operational protocols.
- Summarize and illustrate results from experiment, project or experience in a written, scientific manner.
- Understand the application of this experiment, project or experience in the student’s area of study
Assessment of these learning outcomes will be based upon the content evaluation of the internship proposal, electronic internship journal, photo-documented activities, final internship report and an internship supervisor survey of evaluation.
How to Apply and Register
Step 1: Find and secure an internship opportunity
Find an internship opportunity that interests you. If you are on the SCE track, the internship must meet the FEPAC accreditation standards. The FEPAC requirement does not apply to students on the LWE track. You must have an official internship offer before you can apply for FIVS 484 credit.
- Internships are competitive, so identify agency deadlines in advance so you don’t miss out!
- Apply to multiple internships and have a backup plan.
- The FIVS 484 Internship Database (you must be logged in to your TAMU Google account for access) can help begin your search. Use Google and network to find more opportunities.
- For students on the SEC track, FEPAC requires FIVS internships be supervised by a practicing expert in a forensic field. Unsure if an internship will count? Contact Dr. Craig Coates to verify. The FEPAC requirement does not apply to students on the LWE track.
Not all agencies have formal internship programs. Can’t find an application on their webpage? Call the agency directly to ask if they offer internships and to connect you with who manages them.
Step 2: Confirm the number of credit hours needed
2 credits are required for your degree plan.
- 1 credit hour = minimum of 45 working hours.
- 2 credit hours = minimum of 90 working hours.
- Additional credit hours must be approved by your Academic Advisor, maximum allowed is 4 credits.
To determine if your degree plan has room for more than the required 2 credits to count as directed electives contact your Academic Advisor before applying.
Step 3: Complete the application and proposal
Application Details
You cannot self-register for this credit.
Your Academic Advisor does not register you for this credit.
You must apply through the links provided on this webpage for the semester in which you will complete the internship to be considered for registration.
If you do not receive a confirmation email, your application was not received, please resubmit.
The application includes a 1–2-page formal proposal for Professional Internship before student will be registered.
Students will not be registered for FIVS 484 credit hours until a formal proposal is on file in the Entomology Undergraduate Programs Office.
Required Proposal Content
- Describe the agency, department, and responsibilities for your internship (discuss with your internship supervisor).
- Provide a section on your professional/educational background that may be relevant to the work experience being done.
- Describe what you expect to learn through your internship.
- Describe how you expect this internship will be useful for your future career endeavors.
Proposal Formatting
- Proposals must be in APA format, double spaced, 12-pt font
- A title page with the following information must be included with the student’s proposal:
- Student’s Name, UIN
- Number of Credit Hours
- Semester (Fall, Spring, first-,second-, or 10-week Summer)
- Registration Year
- Major
- Date, Student Phone, Student Address, Student Email
- Professor of Record: Dr. Craig Coates
- Supervisor’s name, title, agency/organization/company, phone, and email
- Proposals without a title page will not be processed
- Save proposal in the following file format: StudentLast,StudentFirst_FIVS484_Coates
Step 4: Internship verification, completion of required training and forms
- The proposal will be reviewed, and more information or additional steps in Howdy may be requested
- Students will not be registered for Professional Internship credit until the Department has verified your internship and approved your project(s) with the internship supervisor.
- The department Internship and Research Coordinator will email instructions for how you complete the Howdy Terms of Use agreement and Location Confirmation steps once your internship is verified.
Step 5: Internship and Research Coordinator registers student for FIVS 484
- Students should allow a minimum of two business weeks after application closing date for this process to be approved.
- Students may only be registered for Professional Internship credits during university approved registration periods; credit cannot be applied retroactively.
- Students are responsible for checking registration dates for each semester (see table below).
- Registration confirmation is emailed to you.
- Establish your internship schedule with your supervisor before you begin the internship.
Application Links and Deadlines
- All applications must be submitted by 5:00pm on the deadline date listed.
| FIVS 484 Application Link | FIVS 484 Application Deadline |
|---|---|
| Summer 2024 Application | May 13, 2024 |
| Fall 2024 Application | August 12, 2024 |
| Spring 2025 Application | January 06, 2025 |
FIVS 484 Course Expectations
Professionalism
- Treat this experience as your job and a priority. Many agencies look to hire our graduates
- Log your experiences in the electronic journal. Track the dates, times and hours worked in a Word document, along with a description of what you worked on, learned, and observed daily. This must be logged to earn credits
- Work your required hours. Work a minimum of 3 hours per week per credit registered during the fall/spring semester. It is expected that an individual that signs up for 2 credits will work a minimum of 6 hours per week for 15 weeks (a total of 90 hours). Internships must be 4 weeks (~20 hr/week) or longer to satisfy requirements.
- Take initiative. Take advantage of every opportunity an agency shares with you! This is your chance to learn in a real-world setting. If you have free time or finish a task early, ask your supervisor what you can do next.
Requirements for Final Grade
By the deadline indicated for the semester in which the student is registered, the student is to upload the final project documentation to the link associated with the semester for which they registered (see links and deadlines for submitting final documents at the bottom of the page).
Technical difficulties are the responsibility of the student and sometimes occur; therefore, we strongly encourage students to submit the documents well in advance of the deadline to allow for troubleshooting if technical difficulties occur.
Required Final Project Documentation
1. Final Project Report
- In manuscript format (double spaced, 12 pt font, up to 10-pages, 1500 word minimum)
- Build upon the proposal you submitted to include the following:
- Summarized activities and experiences
- What you learned and how your prior knowledge helped
- How the internship was or was not what you expected, and why
- How you will utilize what you learned in your future career
- References (if utilized)
Note: The final project report for your internship experience can be in the form of a poster if it captures the same information and either has been, or will be presented at a meeting, conference, or other similar venue.
2. Electronic Journal
- Submit as a single PDF.
- Hours should meet your credit hour requirements at a minimum.
- This should detail the dates, times, and hours worked on your project/internship duties over the course of your Professional Internship experience.
- This should not include unpublished data that may hinder future publications and/or patents.
- The journal description should indicate that the student should keep a journal that indicates activities conducted each day, by day.
3. Supervisor’s Evaluation
This is a performance and professional overview of your growth, development and knowledge over the internship experience.
- ~2 weeks before the end of the semester, supervisors will be sent a link to a survey via email.
- Students should ensure that their Internship Supervisor has received and completed the supervisor letter/evaluation which will be sent toward the conclusion of the internship (verify with supervisor).
- This survey will evaluate the performance of the student during the Professional Internship.
- Satisfactory completion of these steps will determine the grade for the hours of credit requested.
- A copy of this documentation will become part of the student’s record in the Department of Entomology.
4. Allowable Photos (OPTIONAL)
We understand interns work with sensitive information. Abide by your agency’s ethics, as allowed by the internship location, and approved by the Internship Supervisor.
Examples of photo documentation may include:
- Interns performing activities relevant to the internship
- Field sites
- Photos next to signs where internships are taking place
- Other general duties being conducted over the course of the Professional Internship
Final Document Links and Deadlines
- All documents must be submitted by 5:00pm on the deadline date listed.
| FIVS 484 Final Document Submission Link | FIVS 484 Final Document Submission Deadline |
|---|---|
| Spring 2024 Final Document Submission | April 30, 2024 |
| Summer I 2024 Final Document Submission | July 1, 2024 |
| Summer II & 10-week 2024 Final Document Submission | August 6, 2024 |
| Fall 2024 Final Document Submission | December 2, 2024 |