Internships

The Highway Patrol Internship Program is designed to provide real life unpaid work experiences beneficial to both the student and the Patrol. Students complete various tasks and projects which benefit the Patrol while the student receives college credit for completing the internship.  Selected interns will have the opportunity to work on challenging assignments while learning about the Highway Patrol; will acquire a realistic perspective of the working world; and will be placed with a supervisor to facilitate professional growth.

The Highway Patrol offers a wide range of internship opportunities three times per year.  Some internship postings are of interest to those seeking a career in law enforcement while others focus on technical and specialized skills commonly associated with the business and administrative aspects of an organization.  Often, internship opportunities support various sections including, but not limited to, Field Operations, Support Operations, Training, and Troop and District offices across the state.

Eligibility

Applicant must be enrolled in an academic institution (college, university, or community college within North Carolina) at the time of application and throughout the duration of the internship. All academic majors are welcome to apply. Applicants must be receiving academic credit for the internship during the length of the NCSHP internship.  Furthermore, the institution must be willing to sign the Patrol’s Internship Affiliation Agreement.

Basic Requirements

Interns MUST meet the following basic requirements. Applicants who do NOT meet the identified minimum criteria will NOT be considered for an internship with the NCSHP.

• Must be a legal resident of the State of North Carolina
• Must be enrolled in, and attending, an accredited college, university, or vocational/trade school within the borders of the State of North Carolina
• Must be at least 20 years of age as of the start date of the internship
• Must possess a valid North Carolina driver's license
• Must possess, or have access to, transportation to and from the work location
• Must meet or exceed the minimum internship requirements of their academic institution. In the absence of any academic minimum requirements, the intern applicant's selection will be determined by the appropriate Section/Unit/Troop/District commander in consultation with the Unit Commander of Research and Planning or designee.
• Must not have been convicted of a felony, have any pending criminal violations other than minor traffic violations
• Must not have any current or recurring association with individual(s) who are associated with any formal or informal organization(s) known for, or having the reputation of, endorsing, committing or sponsoring criminal activities or conduct
• Must be willing to participate in the interviewing process
• Must agree to records and background checks to include scrutiny of all maintained social media accounts (both public and password protected)     

How to apply

The State Highway Patrol posts internship opportunities three times per year. The Patrol neither accepts nor processes applications outside of the processing cycle.  The schedule shown below indicates when Patrol internship opportunities are posted.

Applications are available at the time postings are placed on the website shown above.  Those interested in applying for one of the posted internship opportunities are to complete the intern application and submit corresponding documents at the appropriate time to:

SHP Internship Coordinator   
Professional Standards   
4231 Mail Service Center   
Raleigh, NC  27699-4231

For college internships, contact Lieutenant Brett T. Snotherly at (919)-892-5002 or send a message to NCSHP.Intern@ncshp.gov.