Internships and Experiential Learning

High Point University values experiential learning in all majors. The criminal justice program offers many opportunities for students to apply classroom lessons to real-world situations. Students can join the Justice Club, Pre-Law Society or our local chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma (the National Honor Society of Criminal Justice).

Internships:

An internship is not required in the Criminal Justice major; however, students are encouraged to pursue internships, and credit hours can be awarded for the experience. Faculty will work with students to create a customized internship experience. Internships can occur during the summer months, or during a normal semester. The HPU Washington Center program is another way to obtain an internship. Contact Dr. Jana Spain about this program at: jspain@highpoint.edu

Past experiential activities we have created for our students include:

• Courtroom observations and field trips to local prisons
• A seminar on serial sexual killers by Robert Ressler (founder of FBI Behavioral Sciences Unit)
• Student participation in the Citizen Police Academy
• Attending a national justice conference
• Police K-9 demonstration
• Defense tactics for student survival, including firearms safety and instruction
• Guest speakers from the FBI, customs, SBI, corporate asset protection, probation/parole, district attorney’s office, public defender office and more
• Creation of a Mock Trial Course
• Creation of the HPU Intercollegiate Mock Trial Competition Team
• Crime Scene Investigation work at the CRJ Learning Lab/Crime House (Lifting prints from crime scenes, analysis and print matching skills, blood stain interpretation and analysis, mock homicide scene investigator)