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Farheen Gani
Internship List – 25 Cool Forensic Science Internships (2025)
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Completing a degree in the forensic sciences or in the natural sciences often requires more than just studying. It may also involve gaining real-world experience through an internship. Rather than sitting around answering phones in a crime lab, some internships can provide an invaluable opportunity to gain knowledge and expertise in this field.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of 25 internships that may interest those working on a forensic science or criminal justice degree. Many are available over a semester, or, if not, offered through a summer opportunity.
Typically, forensic science internships like these are found through the crime labs of state or regional police departments and law enforcement agencies. However, if no one is listed for a particular state or region, don’t be afraid to call regional police departments and similar agencies to see what might be available. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist because it is not listed here. Sometimes it just takes a phone call to get the ball rolling.
Most importantly, no matter what kind of internship a forensic science student pursues, they should be able to work under a professional forensic scientist in the field and gain new skills and knowledge important in finding that post-college job.
List of Forensic Science Internships
Washington, D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences
The Department of Forensic Sciences has four options for internships. The first is a programmatic internship for junior or senior undergraduate students. Interns could help with administrative tasks or the streamlining of lab processes and participate with research and writing. They should be studying in a field such as criminal justice, forensic science, law, public health, or similar. The department also offers research and joint-agency internships.
Second, there is a research internship for master’s or doctoral students. They will work under legal counsel, management, or scientists. If the student’s area of research is relevant to the internship, they can even complete some additional research while completing this internship. The third option is a STEM internship for high schoolers. These juniors or seniors must be enrolled in a District of Columbia STEM-specific program. Notably, intern, fellow, and volunteer opportunities at the DFS are unpaid and at-will.
Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
Connecticut’s Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection is looking for students studying in areas that include criminal justice, communications, information systems, and more. Interns receive research and special assignments in these non-paid positions but are given college credit upon program completion.
The primary goal of this internship is to provide students with a solid understanding of how the Department works. To assist with this, interns rotate through various sections of the Department and perform various functions. Based on a student’s knowledge and expertise, they may have more hands-on responsibilities in some roles versus others.
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC)
The FLETC College Intern Program (CIP) provides opportunities for college students majoring in criminology, criminal justice, information technology, business, forensic science, and social science-related fields of study to participate in a federal law enforcement training environment. This college intern program is offered in one session consisting of eight weeks. At the time of application, applicants will be required to elect whether to serve a law enforcement or non-law enforcement internship.
Law enforcement interns will spend fifty percent of their time completing worthwhile work to advance the FLETC’s mission of training. Non-law enforcement interns will complete challenging administrative projects that provide insights into how various business lines support this mission. Both types of interns will spend the remaining fifty percent of their auditing basic and advanced training courses.
National Homeland Security STEM
The National Homeland Security STEM Summer Internship Program is available to college juniors and seniors, enabling them to work with Homeland Security professionals and researchers during the summer for up to a 10-week period. Students are given a $1,000 stipend each week, for up to $10,000 total, and will conduct research into the Department of Homeland Security mission-relevant areas.
The focus of this program is to give students hands-on comprehensive training that can ultimately benefit Homeland Security. There are also other internship options in nuclear forensics, nuclear science, or research. Positions vary across the U.S.
Orange County Alternate Defender’s Office
In the Legal Assistant Intern program at Orange County Alternate Defender’s Office interns may work with investigators, trial attorneys, secretaries, and paralegals. Duties may include indexing information and organizing discovery; copying and filing case files; summarizing witness statements; interacting with court staff to file court motions; preparing and serving agency subpoenas; picking up cases, discovery, and records from various agencies; delivering clothing and legal mail to the jail; and serving court orders at the O.C. Sheriff’s Department. They may also be asked to conduct internet research related to various forensic experts and issues. Interns will take part in strategic and tactical discussions on defense theories. Whenever possible, interns are encouraged to attend court proceedings, especially jury trials.
Applicants must currently be enrolled in an accredited college or university and have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies or achieved an associate’s degree in forensics, criminal justice, sociology, psychology, political science, pre-law, government studies, or related fields. Recent graduates who have completed their degree in one of the listed fields are also eligible to apply.
Interns will spend a minimum 12 to 16 hours per week for a minimum of three months or up to six months. Although this is an unpaid position, interns are offered an opportunity to build resumes, explore career options, gain hands-on experience in a legal setting, and network with professionals in their fields of interest. This internship offers recent graduates and current students an opportunity to experience real-life situations within a legal office that complement their career goals and academic studies.
Honors Internship Program at the FBI
This program is available to undergraduates in a field such as accounting, cyber, law, and STEM. This is a 10-week paid internship with a direct pipeline to a job in the FBI, so these appointments are competitive and lucrative. Applicants must be currently enrolled in their institution. Most students complete this internship in the summer between their junior and senior years of college.
As part of this internship, students will analyze data, develop streamlined internal communication systems, and support divisions with audits. Duties will vary based on the department, job title, and the student’s skills and education.
Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
This internship, offered through the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, allows college students to observe forensic scientists at work and become involved in a laboratory project. Students must be a college or graduate program senior studying in a field such as biology, criminalistics, forensic science, or something similar. Students can expect to participate in an extensive literature review, research, laboratory experiments, oral presentations, and data compilation.
Internships are ten to 16 weeks long, non-paid, and available in St. Paul and Bemidji. There are spring, summer, and fall deadlines, so students have the chance to complete their internship when it is most convenient for them.
The Center for Forensic Science Research & Education
This ten-week internship is located just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the CFSRE. Designed for undergraduate and graduate students, candidates can apply for one of three separate sections, including forensic biology, forensic toxicology, or forensic chemistry. In addition to hands-on laboratory training, students also undertake independent mock casework, practice chain of custody, work under a chain of custody, perform validation studies and analyses, write reports, and undergo courtroom testimony training leading to a mock trial as part of the internship.
The end goal of this program is to prepare students with the lab, management, and communication skills they need to work in forensic science. A $3,000 bench fee is required from all interns accepted to this program. Scholarships are available.
New York City Department of Investigation
The NYC DOI’s internship program offers hands-on experience to law school students, college students, and graduate students. It runs three internship sessions throughout the year, each lasting between nine and twelve weeks, for up to 35 hours a week. This internship program offers brown bag lunches that feature speakers from the law enforcement profession who share their knowledge in criminal justice, investigations, and the law; and field trips that introduce interns to the New York City government.
Internship opportunities include investigative internship, outreach intern- OIG NYPD internship, legal internship, forensic auditing internship, data analyst internship, information technology internship, and public administrative internship.
Candidates selected for the forensic auditing internship will be responsible for conducting programmatic and financial audits and reviews; analyzing and examining financial reports and data; conducting reviews of subpoenaed records; conducting interviews; preparing reports; testifying at hearing and court proceedings; and doing research to develop investigative leads. The candidates may also be required to work with other prosecutorial agencies and provide support to other squads within DOI.
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
The NCIS, a federal law enforcement agency examining felony-level offenses related to the Navy and Marine Corps, provides two internships to qualified candidates. The NCIS Honors Intern Program is open to undergraduate (juniors and seniors) and graduate students interested in criminal intelligence and acquisitions, forensic science, and more. The internship is paid and provides valuable hands-on experience.
Placements are typically at the NCIS headquarters in Quantico, last 10 weeks, and require 40 hours a week of work. NCIS also offers the Wounded Warrior Internship for those in the Department of Defense’s Operation Warfighter Program. These interns are either awaiting medical retirement or will return to active duty. This internship aims to provide participants with employment-ready skills.
Miami-Dade Public Safety Training Institute
Students interested in this internship through the Miami-Dade Police Department will find an internship program that introduces them to various aspects of police work, including forensic services, homicide, robbery, special victims unit, uniform patrol, and much more. The internship is observation-only and open to juniors or seniors in college or graduate students majoring in criminal justice or a similar field.
Fall and spring internships are 16 weeks long, while summer internships are only 12 weeks. Interns are expected to work Monday through Friday for at least eight hours a day, and 40 hours a week for their internship.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD)
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department offers summer internships to undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in a college or university program. Students are expected to work 40 hours a week during this eight-week program and are paid $19 per hour.
During the internship program, students become sworn law enforcement officers with CMPD. They can work with investigative, support services, and/or field services groups to experience the duties and responsibilities of law enforcement professionals. This gives students a unique perspective into a law enforcement and forensics career before completing an academy or additional education.
Department of Maryland State Police
Students working on a forensic science degree or a degree in life or physical sciences with a minor in forensic science can look for internship opportunities available through the Forensic Science Division of the Department of Maryland State Police. This internship is a great way to gain experience in this field and network with professional forensics scientists. Students must apply directly to the unit they want to intern with. Units include biology, chemistry, pattern evidence, trace evidence, crime scenes, administrative support, and more.
Applicants must have completed at least their sophomore year of college to be eligible to apply, and students above this level, including graduate students, can also submit applications. Summer and semester internships, all unpaid, are available to interested students. Applicants who already have lab experience or extensive forensics coursework will receive preference.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation
Students interested in interning for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation should pursue a degree in criminal justice or a similar field. This internship gives students real-world experience in criminal justice and forensics. Students must be juniors or seniors in college or first-year graduate students to be eligible to apply.
All applicants must pass a GBI polygraph examination to be accepted into the program and be available to work at least 30 hours a week for at least eight weeks. There are extensive disqualifying factors for this internship, so candidates should review the requirements carefully to ensure they have the qualifications and haven’t engaged in activities that will inhibit them from being accepted.
The Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory in Ohio has internship opportunities available to juniors or seniors in college majoring in forensic sciences or natural science. The internship is unpaid, but students will gain knowledge about the various laboratory disciplines.
Rather than being structured like an apprenticeship, this internship rotates students through different laboratory parts to gain a wide breadth of experience. At the end of the internship, students will complete a research project. The topic is decided collaboratively, as it must benefit the laboratory and the student.
City of Philadelphia Toxicology Lab
Juniors and seniors in college who have taken courses such as analytical and organic chemistry can look for internships available through the medical examiner’s office with the City of Philadelphia. Students can apply to a specific unit, including bereavement services, toxicology, fatality review, and pathology. Interns should be available to invest at least 18 hours a week at the lab.
The toxicology internship is the most robust of the programs offered. Students receive an orientation and may learn about how case assignments are made and about the final steps in preparing a toxicology report. If time permits, students can work on a special project providing them with hands-on experience. Spring, summer, and fall options exist, so students can complete their internship year-round.
Various internships are available through the Mesa Police Department, in Arizona, including in the department’s forensic science section. Interns in this program will be able to explore both sworn-in and civilian career paths within the Mesa Police Department. They will gain skills through hands-on training and specialized classroom sessions to teach critical skills. It is also an excellent way to network with forensics professionals.
Interns will receive exposure and hands-on training in areas such as forensics, criminal investigations, communications, technology, community outreach, and much more. Applicants must be enrolled in a college or technical school and must be a junior or senior in forensics.
North Carolina State Crime Lab
For college students pursuing a career in forensic science, the North Carolina State Crime Lab (NCSCL) offers internships at all laboratory locations and in all forensic disciplines. The NCSCL internship program is designed to provide college students and recent graduates interested in forensic science with the opportunity to experience the inner workings of a crime laboratory. Interns are assigned to one section in the laboratory where they will work on research projects.
Interns must be at least a rising junior in, or graduate of, a four-year laboratory science degree program such as chemistry, biology, physics, forensic science, or computer related program. Internships are unpaid and interns will be required to work a minimum of 20 hours per week.
Washington DC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
For those interested in working close to the heart of the federal government, the DC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner offers several internships for qualified applicants. The OCME provides opportunities for students of forensic anthropology, forensic photography, death investigations, toxicology, digital imaging, epidemiology, and other areas.
This is a highly competitive internship. To apply, candidates must submit an application, a compelling statement of interest, two letters of recommendation, a current resume, and official transcripts. Once a candidate has been accepted, a student’s college must establish an interagency agreement with the OCME before the intern’s start date.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
The CIA offers a wealth of internships for aspiring forensics professionals. Among its paid undergraduate offerings (also referred to as “co-op programs”) are positions in intelligence analysis, cyber exploitation investigations, cybersecurity, digital forensics, and other fields related to forensics. Not surprisingly, admission is very competitive.
For example, the undergraduate internship/co-op program in cyber operations and mission enablement requires applicants to have an undergraduate degree in cybersecurity (or a related field), at least a 3.0 GPA, availability to work two 90-day tours prior to graduation, and excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Working with the CIA can prove an invaluable professional experience and boost one’s resume. All positions require relocation to the DC metropolitan area.
In addition to internships, the CIA offers scholarships to outstanding students and paid fellowships for students attending four-year Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)
The Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (FACTS) offers month-long unpaid non-credit internships each summer. Interns in this program will assist with the day-to-day operations of FACTS, including processing human remains, data management, and the donation program.
As part of this program, students can also anticipate learning how to catalog skeletal remains. If students have more advanced skills and training, they may help identify bodies of undocumented border crosses found by authorities in Texas.
Admission to this internship is competitive, and students may be required to pass a competency exam to be admitted to the program. While students in this program are unpaid, they are invited to complete the FACTS workshops in June for free. This includes the human osteology intensive, outdoor human remains recovery, entomology and taphonomy, and the forensic anthropology methods workshop.
Forensicon is a computer forensics consulting company based out of Chicago, Illinois. They offer internships to students with a computer programming background who want to apply their skills to a real company. Interns they bring on will help write programs, develop in-house software tools, and assist with automation.
Typically, interns work on a specific internal need and develop a tool to help solve the problem. Often, interns are offered post-internship job opportunities at Forensicon, so this can be a great way to get a foot in the door in computer forensics.
Students can complete an unpaid internship through the Massachusetts State Police (MSP). Internships are offered three times a year for fall, spring, or summer semesters and students must earn college credit while completing their program. Applicants must be juniors, seniors, or graduate students and be able to pass a rigorous background check.
There are several internship tracks to choose from, but forensics students will be most interested in the forensic science track. This track is open to college students with science/laboratory-focused majors. Placements will be within the Forensics Services Division (FSD).
Westchester County Division of Forensic Sciences
The Westchester County Division of Forensic Sciences offers shadow opportunities or internships to college students from the Tri-State area and shadow opportunities to local high school students interested in pursuing a career in forensic science.
This internship program is designed to meet the needs of college students in forensic science majors who require an internship as part of their core curriculum. Forensic science students who do not require an internship and students majoring in related laboratory sciences will be considered based on availability. Interns may observe the analysis of physical evidence in the following areas: trace evidence, forensic biology (DNA), forensic imaging, and forensic chemistry.
Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) Forensic Science Laboratory
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation Forensic Science Laboratory internship program offers competitive, paid internships to qualified undergraduate and graduate students. The internship may be a part of the intern’s academic program requirements or the intern’s independent career-building initiative. Priority will be given to those working towards a degree relevant to the field.
Interns will gain experience in an accredited forensic science laboratory and contribute to the field through research or validation projects.
Methodology
The following criteria were used to compile 25 cool forensic science internships. Not all criteria applied to all internships, but many met the following guidelines:
- 1. Broad availability: Although some preference may be given to students living in an area, most of the internships on this list are available to applicants statewide and nationwide.
- 2. Engaged in hands-on experience: Many internships offer a real-world-based experience, allowing interns to observe forensic experts at work or work directly under a forensic scientist’s supervision.
- 3. Advancing knowledge: Most of these internships sought to expand students’ knowledge in forensic science through direct observation and/or research skills. Some additionally require the completion of an intern project.
Farheen Gani writes about forensics schools across the United States, and has covered topics such as forensic chemistry and forensic science and biochemistry since 2018. She writes about healthcare, technology, education, and marketing. Her work has appeared on websites such as Tech in Asia and Foundr, as well as top SaaS blogs such as Zapier and InVision. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter (@FarheenGani).