Approximately 80 graduate and undergraduate students register for a field placement each year. The field placement is a mandatory non-remunerated requirement of the Honours in Criminology with field placement option, the Joint Honours in Criminology and Feminist and Gender Studies with field placement option, and of the Master’s Program in Criminology –Thesis and Field Placement Option or Course and Field Placement Option. Undergraduate students complete their placement in their fourth year of study (Fall or Winter semester) while graduate students do so in the Fall semester of the second year of study.
All field placement students are in the field 32 hours a week and must complete a minimum of 360 hours in the field.
The Department of Criminology is always interested in exploring new placement opportunities. Participating in the Field Placement Program has many advantages for those involved:
- The satisfaction of contributing to the personal and professional development of students.
- Access to students with special skills and knowledge who may bring new ideas and work methods to the organization.
- Development of the supervisory and training skills of staff who may not have the opportunity to do so in their current position.
- Development of the agency’s own pool of potential employees.
Here are some things to consider when assessing the feasibility of a placement in your organization:
- The agency is interested in the orientation of the Department of Criminology as it relates to the practice of criminology.
- The agency is interested in the education of the students, understands that the placement differs from a job or volunteer work and is willing to commit to the educational objectives of the placement. Therefore, a job or volunteer work cannot become a field placement since the field placement must provide new learning opportunities and new challenges. The agency views the field placement as a learning activity and does not focus solely on productivity.
- The agency is able to provide interesting learning opportunities that meet the field placement objectives and respond to the educational needs of the student and offers an environment in which students can apply their academic knowledge and skills.
- The agency is able to provide supervision by an employee who has a minimum of two years experience in their current position.
- The agency can support the Field Supervisors in the orientation, training, supervision and evaluation of the students.
- The agency is able to provide a positive work environment and adequate work space for the student.
Here are the steps to offer a field placement opportunity:
- Provide a description of the placement you would like to offer using this Field Placement Description Form (PDF, 61 KB).
- Identify the contact person within your agency that will be responsible for the matching process.
- Receive the list of candidates from the Field Placement Coordinator of the Department of Criminology.
- Receive and assess the resumes and cover letters of the interested candidates.
- Invite the candidates to an interview.
- Evaluate the candidates and make a decision.
- Inform the candidates and the Field Placement Coordinator of the Department of Criminology of your decision.
The Field Placement Coordinators are always available to assist participating agencies before, during and after the placement. Before the placement, we can help agencies determine whether the placement is likely to be a good fit for our students and provide assistance in the development of the field placement description. We can also help mediate conflict or clarify expectations during the placement period.
For additional information about our program please consult
You may also contact the Field Placement and Education Coordinators:
Marie-Lyne Vachon
[email protected]
613-562-5800 ext. 1808
Drew Pitchforth
613-562-5800 ext. 1816
[email protected]
