FIVS 284/484: Internship

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 284/484 credit.

• Internships are competitive, so identify agency deadlines in advance so you don’t miss out!
• Many internship opportunities require a letter of support or confirmation from the department. If that is the case, please use the pre-drafted letter and attach to an email for the internship coordinator to make edits, add signature, and letter head.
• Apply to multiple internships and have a backup plan.
• The FIVS 284/484 Internship Agency List  (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 SCE track, FEPAC requires FIVS internships be supervised by a practicing expert in a forensic field. Unsure if an internship will count? Contact Dr. Adrienne Brundage at  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

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 284/484

• 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.

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