Law and Justice
Field Placement Experience Program
Welcome to the Field Placement Program page! The Field Placement Experience allows LAJ students to earn elective credits while integrating their classroom knowledge to agency and organization practices in the field of criminal justice, legal services, or community-based organizations.
Contact Info:
Field Placement Coordinator
Email: lajinternships@cwu.edu | Office: Farrell Hall 306 | Phone: 509-963-1364
OR
Law & Justice Office
Email: laj@cwu.edu | Office: Farrell Hall 309 | Phone: 509-963-3219
Requirements for Field Placement
- Be declared a Law & Justice major (field placement is not open to Law & Justice minors).
- Be in good academic standing at the time of application. Students with less than a 2.0 GPA are not eligible for field placement.
- Be acceptable to the agency. Field placement supervisors are not required to accept all students recommended to them.
Field Placement (LAJ 493) vs. Internship/Co-Op (LAJ 490)
| Field Placement LAJ 493/499 | Internship/Co-Op LAJ 490 | |
| Credit | Counts as elective credit toward LAJ major |
Counts toward overall CWU credits; Applicable to LAJ minors |
| Supervision | Field Placement seminar leader supervises | Individual professor |
| Learning Goals | Syllabus for LAJ 499 | Learning Agreement |
| Support | Field Placement Coordinator & LAJ Department | Career Services |
Please note that field placements through the LAJ Department have different requirements and paperwork than internships through Career Services.
Benefits of Field Placement
- Allows students to apply course knowledge to firsthand experience in their field of interest.
- Exposes students to agency/organization environment.
- Eases the transition from academic classroom to the professional workplace setting.
- Provides students an opportunity to develop, test, and polish skills.
Field Placement Credit Breakdown
- Students must take LAJ 493 Field Placement Experience with LAJ 499 Field Placement Seminar.
- LAJ 493: 1-12 credits
- Students can only count up to 8 credits for the LAJ elective credit.
- Additional credits can be counted toward the 180 total requirements needed for a bachelors degree at CWU.
- LAJ 499: 2 credits
- 40 field placement experience hours = 1 credit
- A total of 8 LAJ elective credits can be earned through field placement.
Steps in Acquiring a Field Placement
- Students must apply at least one quarter before placement would begin.
- Reach out to Field Placement Coordinator and Site Supervisor.
- Complete the Memorandum Agreement form (MOA), request through the LAJ Office.
- Compete Sexual Harassment Training.
- Acquire Student Intern/Practicum Professional Liability Insurance.
- The LAJ Office will enroll in LAJ 493 and LAJ 499 for credit towards your major.
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