MNS in Applied Chemistry

Internship Experiences

The Internship is a required experiential learning component of the MNS degree program. It is described as a supervised learning and work experience, approved by the Chemistry Department Graduate Committee and supervised by the student's graduate advisor which contributes to the student's program of study and career objectives. Beyond this catalog description of the Internship we feel that the Internship experience should accomplish a number of additional goals:

1. The student should become familiar with the day-to-day operations of a working forensic laboratory and what will be required of him/her as a forensic chemist in the workplace.

2. The student should enhance his/her scientific preparation by conducting an independent supervised project involving a scientific inquiry during the course of the Internship. Some problem should be addressed or some hypothesis tested by experimentation/observation, and the student intern should arrive at a valid scientific conclusion/solution to the problem. Consult the Graduate Committee for further details and examples of this type of project.

3. The student should gain valuable contacts in the forensic science community by interacting with forensic science professionals in the crime laboratory setting. Often the internship supervisor is called upon to write a letter of recommendation for the intern for future employment applications.

4. The student should enhance his/her résumé by completing a hands-on work/training experience in a functioning forensic laboratory.

5. The student hones his/her professional presentation skills by delivering an oral presentation to the Chemistry Department in the semester subsequent to the Internship. This seminar may be counted as the CH609 Seminar for credit, if the student wishes, but it need not necessarily be counted as such.

Since most internship experiences do not provide financial compensation to the intern, many of our past students have elected to complete their internships at crime laboratories in or near their own hometowns. Most of these internships have been arranged by the students themselves, but the Graduate Committee and Crime Laboratory Director would be willing to assist students in arranging these internships. If you are not aware of a crime laboratory located a convenient distance from your home, there are a number of other options to consider.

Below is a list of possible internship locations to consider in addition to any others you may be personally aware of. Most of these laboratories do not directly advertise internship positions on their websites. Therefore, you will need to contact most of the laboratories directly by telephone or e-mail to request information about internship opportunities. Many of these agencies and laboratories have application deadlines, so find out the application guidelines and application deadlines for your chosen lab(s) as early as possible.

Bexar County Forensic Science Center (San Antonio, TX)- We have a graduate employed here. Apparently it is pronounced "Bear" County. See Dr. McGill for details on the pronunciation and applying for an internship.

Illinois State Police Division of Forensic Services- We have a graduate employed here. See Dr. McGill for details on applying for an internship with the ISP.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Forensic Laboratory- See Pam Johnson about this opportunity.

New York State Division of State Police Forensic Internships

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation

St. Louis County Police Department Division of Criminal Investigation

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Crime Laboratory- Contact Pam Johnson for information.

Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Law Enforcement Crime Laboratory Service

Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory Division

Federal Laboratories:

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP)

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)- Contact Dr. McGill or Pam Johnson for information.

Environmental Protection Agency Internships

FBI Academy Forensic Science Research and Training Center Application Information