Investigations Internships

Thank you for your interest in an internship with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Investigations Section. This page describes the internship program, application requirements, and application process.

CBI has three regional offices located in Denver, Pueblo, and Grand Junction, Colorado. Interns for the Investigations Section typically spend about 8-20 hours per week working in-person alongside Investigative Analysts and Special Agents on designated projects during the period of their internship. These positions are unpaid and require a three-month commitment, at minimum. Due to the involved nature of investigations, internships may be extended up to one year depending on the project or needs of the agency.

The Investigations Section provides for a full range of criminal investigative assistance, including but not limited to: 

• Homicide
• Officer-Involved Shootings
• Sexual Assault
• Critical Incidents
• Missing Persons
• Designated Alerts (Amber, Senior, Blue, Missing MIPA/MMIR and Developmentally Disabled)
• Public Corruption
• Organized Crime
• Fugitive Operations
• Cold Case Investigations
• Narcotics
• Economic Crimes
   

The application acceptance period for any upcoming opportunities will typically open at the beginning of the spring, summer, and fall semesters, and will be for an internship starting at the beginning of the following semester. Internship opportunities are not guaranteed to be available at each or every regional office during these times and are dependent on the needs of the agency.

Current opportunities: APPLICATION PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED
 

Applicants must be enrolled as a student at an accredited college/university, be a recent graduate of an accredited college/university, or an individual seeking post-graduate experience in forensic science. 

Because of the changing nature of law enforcement investigations and the versatility of work across multiple units at CBI, prospective interns will preferably come from degree fields including, but not limited to, criminal justice, crime scene analysis, psychology/sociology, genealogy, computer science, cybersecurity, IT, forensic accounting, statistics, public administration, law, and communications.

Completed applications during the application acceptance period must include the below documentation AND completion of the Internship Inquiry - CBI Investigations form.

Your form response should be complete and include your contact information, regional office and timeline of an internship opportunity you are interested in, and any disciplines you may be interested in at CBI Investigations. Please also include your university / degree program and any requirements if you will be receiving class credit. 

• Cover letter - The cover letter should outline your education, any relevant academic or professional experience, and any areas of interest in law enforcement investigations you may have and why. CBI Investigations may not be able to accommodate certain projects depending on staffing, organizational needs and available instrumentation.
• Resume or CV - Your resume/CV should outline your education, relevant laboratory and professional experience, leadership roles, etc.
• Academic transcript - Transcripts may be official or unofficial. If you are in-between programs, please provide your most recent transcript and documentation that articulates your current enrollment in another university program
• Letter of recommendation - Must be from a professional or academic reference such as professor, department head, program advisor, supervisor, superior officer, etc.

Application documents can be submitted to: cdps_cbi_investigations_internships@state.co.us
 

Due to the sensitivity of the work that is done by CBI Investigations, the application process is necessarily lengthy. Candidates selected for an internship opportunity will undergo a thorough background process, which includes an in-depth background investigation and polygraph examination. We estimate this part of the hiring process to be about ten to twelve weeks. We understand that an elongated timeline for hiring may interfere with any classes you may need to enroll in for your degree program, so please be advised of this ahead of time.

If you have questions regarding the CBI Investigations Internship Program, please email us at cdps_cbi_investigations_internships@state.co.us. We will try to answer your questions as soon as we can.