Learning & Internship Opportunities
We strive to provide you with valuable research experience that will help you hone your professional skills. Through internships with local and national community partners and many other unique learning opportunities, we give our students real-life training in the fields of sociology and criminology.
Internship Program
The Department of Sociology & Criminology's internship program is directed by Lisa Pasko, PhD. Our program is designed to provide work experience in an area related to your field of study, helping you develop job competencies and interpersonal skills while exploring career opportunities and applying academic knowledge to practical real-world issues.
Permission from the instructor is required to enroll in our internship courses. In addition, you'll need to complete the following prerequisites:
- declared sociology or criminology major
- junior or senior standing
- a cumulative overall GPA of at least 3.25, and
- successful completion of at least three courses in the major beyond the introductory course.
Please contact Professor Lisa Pasko, PhD, if you are interested in pursuing an internship in our department.
Partners in Scholarship
Partners in Scholarship (PinS) is a program run by DU's Undergraduate Research Center. PinS offers you the opportunity to work on collaborative research projects with faculty in their area of interest. Recent PinS projects in our department include:
an examination of sexual behavior across social and demographic categories
analysis of popular music to identify shifts in gender thematics
statistical analysis of federal recidivism data
content analysis of media coverage of mass shootings in the U.S.
Connect with our faculty to see their specialties and how you can get involved.
Senior Thesis
Each year, a number of our majors are selected by faculty to pursue graduating with Departmental Distinction. Students are selected from those with a minimum GPA of 3.5 within the sociology or criminology major. To graduate with Distinction in Sociology or Criminology, selected students must successfully complete a senior thesis.
Note: "Distinction" in the major via a senior thesis is a requirement for Latin honors at DU. Read more about Graduation with Departmental Distinction.
