Photo of student on red steps

Internship Information

Internship Applications and Deadlines

All Justice Studies Majors are required to complete JUST497.

All Global Human Trafficking Certificate students are required to complete JUST498.
(Justice Studies Majors with a Global Human Trafficking Certificate will complete JUST497 and a credit adjustment will be issued to count JUST497 for JUST498.)

All Paralegal Studies Minors and Post-BA Certificate students are required to complete PALG497.
(Justice Studies Majors with a minor in Paralegal Studies will complete JUST497 and contact the Program Director for a credit adjustment to count JUST497 for PALG497.)

Students must submit their application in accordance with the following deadlines:

THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THE APPLICATION DEADLINES.

JUST497/JUST498 Application Deadlines:
Applications for the Summer open in December and are due by February 15th.
Applications for the Fall open in December and are due by March 1st.
Applications for the Spring open in May and are due by September 1st.

PALG497 Application Deadlines:
Applications for the Fall open in December and are due by March 1st.
Applications for the Spring open in June and are due by October 1st.
We do not offer PALG497 in the Summer.

After submitting the online application, you should receive a confirmation message and an email with your submitted responses immediately.  If you do not receive these, your application may not have been successfully submitted and you should follow up with the Internship Coordinator, Ms. Amanda Choo.

Purpose

The purpose of the Internship Program is to provide students with direct experience in their concentrated area. The required capstone course takes a two-fold approach to the senior experience. The first approach is pragmatic, concerned with the integration of theory in practice as graduating seniors apply acquired knowledge to the work environment. The second approach is broader, and based on the culmination of a course of study concerned with the application of social justice to contemporary issues. Class discussions include pertinent topics such as; ethical and professional responsibility, confidentiality, conflict resolution, resume writing and interviewing skills, professional affiliations and associations, organizational models and exploration of career options.

Eligibility & Prerequisite Requirements

All Justice Studies Majors must successfully complete the application process in order to receive permission to register for JUST497 Senior Seminar and Internship.  For students who anticipate registering for JUST497, the following requirements must be met by the start of the semester you are applying for:

  • Completion of JUST204 with a minimum grade of C-
  • Completion of JUST205 with a minimum grade of C-
  • Completion of JUST300 with a minimum grade of C-
  • Completion of JUST310 with a minimum grade of C-
  • Completion of six (6) concentration electives (which include the required concentration electives)
  • Students in the Criminal Justice Concentration must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 overall, in the major and in the concentration
  • Students in the Paralegal Studies Concentration must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 overall, in the major and in the concentration
  • Students in the International Justice Concentration must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 overall, in the major and in the concentration
  • Students must have junior or senior status and submit the application by the designated deadline
  • Students may take JUST497 up to one (1) semester in advance of their final semester

All Paralegal Studies Minors and Post-BA Certificate students must meet the prerequisite requirements in order to receive permission to register for PALG497 Paralegal Seminar and Internship.  For students who anticipate registering for PALG497, the following requirements must be met by the start of the semester you are applying for:

  • Completion of PALG210
  • Completion of PALG312 with a minimum grade of C-
  • Completion of two (2) legal specialty courses
  • Students in the Paralegal Studies Minor must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 overall and in the minor
  • Students in the Post-BA Certificate program must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.75
  • Students must submit the application by the designated deadline

All Global Human Trafficking Certificate students must have passed JUST355: Human Trafficking prior to taking JUST498: Internship Experience.

Important Factors to Consider

Students must submit their application and meet the eligibility requirements by the following DEADLINES:

SUMMER:  February 15th for JUST497/JUST498
FALL:  March 1st for JUST497/JUST498 and PALG497
SPRING:  September 1st for JUST497/JUST498 and October 1st for PALG497
All applications must be completed and submitted online.

  • Students are encouraged to submit the application as soon as possible.
  • Students are responsible for checking their MSU email for important updates about the internship process.
  • A prior arrest or conviction may exclude students from certain placements. Most internship sites require a background check. You must advise the Internship Coordinator, if you have a prior arrest, conviction or expungement.  Students who conceal this information jeopardize completion of the internship requirement and may prolong graduation.
  • Internships require 90 hours of fieldwork over the designated semester.
  • All self-placements must be approved by the Department.
  • Students must create a well designed and grammatically correct resume with no spelling errors. Click here to view the Guide to Resume and Cover Letter Writing and here for additional Career Resources.
  • Students with extenuating circumstances where an internship may cause an unreasonable hardship may be given approval to waive the internship requirement. All students must still complete the application by the designated deadline and complete the appeal process embedded in the application. Appeals will be reviewed by a committee of faculty and staff and students will be notified if approved or denied.

Additional Information

Click here for FAQs regarding JUST497.
Click here for an informational video regarding JUST497
Click here for FAQs regarding PALG497.

Contacts

  • Ms. Amanda Choo, Internship Coordinator, Dickson Hall Room 351.
    Phone: 973-655-7702 or email: chooa@montclair.edu.
  • Ms. Nicole A. Fackina, Paralegal Studies Program Director, Dickson Hall Room 139.
    Phone: 973-655-7759 or email: fackinan@montclair.edu.