Internships

An internship offers a bridge between theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Students are able to apply what they have learned in the classroom at supervised settings in the "real world" of work. Through this experience, the student is aware that her/his education extends beyond the classroom.

The primary learning objectives of the internship are:

• Acquisition of practical, applied experience in the day-to-day work of a professional psychologist
• Realization of the possible need for additional educational attainment (in the form of graduate school) to attain career goals
• Acquisition of contacts in the profession of psychology that can enhance the student's resume
• Acquisition of knowledge, skills and abilities that psychologists use to succeed in their professions
• Acquisition of "successful" work behaviors, such as: dependability, independence of work, leadership, professional demeanor

The requirements for eligibility are:

• Approval by the Faculty Supervisor of the Department of Psychology Internship Program
• Have junior or senior standing
• Be in "Good Academic Standing" (see CUP Bulletin for requirements)
• Have a QPA of at least 2.5 in her/his major at the point of application
• Completion or comatriculation of the prerequisites of her/his particular concentration:
• • Clinical/Counseling:
  • • Abnormal Psychology
    • Clinical Methods in Psychology
      
  •  Industrial/Organizational:
  • • Industrial Psychology
    • Interviewing Skills
    • Advanced Industrial Psychology
      
  • Educational/School Psychology:
  • • Educational Psychology
    • Child/Adolescent Psychology
    • Psychological Tests and Measures
      
  • Cognitive/Experimental:
  • • Psychology of Learning
    • Cognitive Psychology
    • Physiological Psychology
      
      
• Approval, in writing, from the agency where the student plans to conduct the internship

It is the responsibility of the student to make sure ALL of the above requirements are completed prior to registration. In order to achieve this, it is recommended that all requirements be procured and documented the semester before the student plans to register for internship.

Procedure

Applications can be obtained from the Department of Psychology Office (RC319). The application is submitted to the Psychology Department Internship Supervisor. It is recommended that the procedure of procuring an internship be completed before the end of registration for the term in which the student plans to participate in the internship (for example, by the end of October for Spring internships). It must include:

• Written acceptance of student at desired site
• A current copy of the student's grade transcript
• A resume
• Identify a placement site (the Faculty Internship Supervisor has a list of sites utilized in the past, but the student can approach any site). Typically, the sites students have found have been area businesses and/or community mental health service centers.
• Contact the site and discuss with relevant personnel (usually a supervisor or manager) the internship experience as set out in The Internship Manual (available in LRC 319).
• Request an interview with the supervisor/manager and take your resume and Application form.
• If the site has agreed to the internship, complete the Application form with the supervisor, if they request time to consider your internship, ask for a date to return to complete the application form once the decision ahs been made.

Once these materials are submitted to the Faculty Internship Supervisor and approval is secured, the student should contact the site again before the course begins through a personal interview, telephone, letter or some combination of these. This is to solidify the commitment of both the student and the site to the internship experience. The student can inform the site of its responsibilities and the expectations from and to CUP.

For further information, please contact Dr. Holiday E. Adair

Office Location: LRC 308
Telephone: 724-938-5877
Email: adair@cup.edu.