• Get even more involved in research by doing a Senior Honors thesis or some other research where you can get your name on a conference presentation or journal publication. This kind of recognition is rare for an undergraduate and will really boost your standing when you apply to the military..

• You can get involved in research as part of Independent study course and thus earn credit hours and possibly increase your GPA if it counts as a graded course or volunteer.

• An advantage to working in a lab is that you get to know a faculty member who can write you a strong letter of recommendation if you need it. Given you need more than one letter of recommendation it is probably best to work in two different labs as an undergraduate.

• By doing an internship you show your high level of motivation.

• This internship can be with an on-campus organization or off-campus organization.

• There are a number of skills you can develop in addition to what you learn in classes and by conducting research--computers, writing, foreign language and oral communication skills.

• You can volunteer at an organization demonstrating a high level of motivation. Any involvement just adds to your overall record and makes you a more competitive applicant.

• This involvement demonstrates a high level of motivation and interest in law enforcement. Any involvement just adds to your overall record and makes you a more competitive applicant.

• It is very important that you start to interact with Professors right away. This can occur by making contributions in class or just going up to your Professors and having a conversation about issues in the field.
• These interactions can lead to being able to work in a Professor's research lab, hearing about job opening that may be available in the Psychology department, and a letter of recommendation.
• Remember, if a faculty member does not really know you or had you in one class, there is a lower likelihood that the Professor will agree to write a letter for you or knows you well enough to write a letter.
• There are two important things to keep in mind with regard to letters of recommendation. First, a short letter of recommendation from a faculty member who does not know you well can sometimes be worse than no letter at all. Second, It is almost always better to have a letter of recommendation from a full-time Professor than an Instructor. For better or worse, the former simply has higher status than the latter.

Other scoutiescareersinpsychology.org links:

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Click here to return to the Law Enforcement page.

Click here to see career salary information.

Click on the links below to read about other Law Enforcement careers that only require an undergraduate degree:

Corrections Officer

Probation Officer

Police Officer