Students admitted to the Honours in Criminology and to the Joint Honours in Criminology and Feminist and Gender Studies have access to three options: field placement option, research option and course option.

Students who wish to be admitted to the field placement option will need to submit the Internal Admission to Criminology Programs form found in our online forms portal, available from the end of October to mid-December every year. Make sure to read the instructions carefully.

The number of places for field placements being limited, admission is done by competition. Only the applicants who meet the following criteria will be considered:

• Average: a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 6.00 is required;
• Prerequisites: have completed a minimum of 72 credits, including 21 CRM credits following the Fall term.

Once admitted into the field placement, students must meet the following conditions to complete a placement:

• Attend the Information Session
  • Information sessions about the Field Placement Program are offered in mid-February of each year. The specific dates and location of these information sessions are communicated to admitted students by email. The objective of the information session is to prepare students planning a placement the following academic year.
• Participate in an Orientation Interview and have submitted required documents;
• Submit their Undergraduate Course Enrolment Form (PDF, 235 KB) to register for the field placement (CRM 4260/FEM 4260) and the field placement seminar (CRM 4317);
• Undertake the necessary steps of the matching process in a timely fashion;
• Attend the mandatory Pre-Placement Training

Students who do not meet one or more of the conditions presented above will be withdrawn from the field placement (CRM 4260/FEM 4260) and the field placement seminar (CRM 4317).

Field Placement Students may register for a placement during the Fall semester (32 hours a week from September to December) or for a placement during the Winter Semester (32 hours a week from January to April).

Please consult the Undergraduate Field Placement Guide (PDF, 199 KB) for additional information about the policies and procedures that govern the Field Placement Program.

Please note that the Field Placement Directory will be emailed to all students who have been admitted to the program.

Finally, do not hesitate to contact the Field Placement and Education Coordinators if you would like additional information.

Marie-Lyne Vachon
613-562-5800 ext. 1808
[email protected]

Drew Pitchforth
613-562-5800 poste 1816
[email protected]

If you are interested in completing a Field Placement during your graduate studies, please note that you have to be admitted to the Master’s with thesis or courses program first. In your letter of intent, please indicate that you would like to be considered for the thesis and field placement option or courses and field placement option. Admissions to the field placement option are decided by the Department at the end of April.

Students registered in the MA in criminology with Thesis and Field Placement Option or Courses and Field Placement Option participate in a 360 hour non-remunerated field placement during the Fall of their second year of study (32 hours a week from September to December).

Information about the admission process for the Master’s Program

For more information about the policies and procedures that govern the field placement, please consult the Graduate Field Placement Guide (PDF, 279 KB).

Please note that the Field Placement Directory will be sent via email to all students admitted to the program. 

Do not hesitate to contact the Field Placement and Education Coordinators if you would like to discuss further.

Marie-Lyne Vachon
613-562-5800 ext. 1808
[email protected] 

Drew Pitchforth
613-562-5800 ext. 1816
[email protected]

We are happy to accompany and support Field Supervisors responsible for the orientation, training, supervision, mentoring and evaluation of Field Placement Students. We offer Information Sessions for Field Supervisors before each placement begins, and will contact you a few weeks before to share information about dates and times.

For more information on the policies and procedures that govern the Field Placement Program, please consult the

• Undergraduate Field Placement Guide (PDF, 199 KB)
• Graduate Field Placement Guide (PDF, 279 KB)

Do not hesitate to contact the Field Placement and Education Coordinators if you would like to discuss further.

Marie-Lyne Vachon
613-562-5800 ext. 1808
[email protected]

Drew Pitchforth
613-562-5800 ext. 1816
[email protected]

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

• Undergraduate Field Placement Guide (PDF, 199 KB)
• Graduate Field Placement Guide (PDF, 279 KB)

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]