Department of Psychology

Psychology Internship Description

The Psychology Internship Program at Appalachian State provides students with practical experience in an organization related to psychology. To that end, Appalachian State University and the Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology will grant academic credit for satisfactory completion of approved work experience. Students can work with organizations that provide an opportunity to gain experience in a supervised role, with actual responsibilities, that are relevant to psychology. The internship must include planned educational objectives, and be approved by the Department of Psychology Internship Coordinator in advance.

How to Pursue an Internship in Psychology

If you think you might be interested in an internship experience, then start by considering the following:

What Organization

Any site that offers a training experience that is relevant to Psychology is a consideration. Ideally, the experience and training offered would also be consistent with your career goals. While traditional sites like a homeless shelter, a camp for children, or a human services agency are the most common, you might also consider sites that offer training relevant to other areas of psychology such as human resources, research, or a school setting.

The internship experience must involve an educational opportunity that enhances your academic experience. Fortunately, many organizations offer valuable supplements to your formal class experience.

When

Students often have more time and flexibility in the summer to fit in an internship. Summer internships do not need to coincide with the summer class sessions. They can typically start as early as mid-May and end as late as mid-August. Summer interns need to spend at least 8 weeks and a minimum of 120 hours on site. Internships during the fall or spring semesters are also an option. Fall/spring internships are spread across 15-16 weeks, and students work an average of 8 hours per week to reach the minimum 120 hours. Regardless of when you intern, consider the other responsibilities you will have (work, school, family, etc) to make sure you will have enough time to fit in an internship.

Where

If you are interested in interning locally, there are many community organizations in the Boone area that offer internship opportunities for students.

You may have an organization you admire or would like to target for a training opportunity in your hometown. For some students, it may be practical to live at home in the summer and intern at a nearby organization. If you find an organization in your hometown that offers a relevant training experience, contact the Internship Coordinator to discuss the option.

Some students may prefer to intern at a site far from the university to gain a unique experience and the opportunity to live in a new place. You may discuss a proposal to intern anywhere with the Internship Coordinator. We have had students complete internships all over the US and abroad.

Credit

Enrollment in the internship class (PSY 4905) provides credit for 3 semester hours. This requires the completion of 120 internship work hours spread across the semester (or summer). Students must also complete other class requirements such as reflections, weekly hour logs, and a class presentation, in addition to attending and actively participating in class. In the summer the internship class is delivered asynchronously. 

Steps to Arrange an Internship

1. Find an organization you would like to intern with. Contact them, ask about opportunities, and learn what options they may have. Clarify what role and responsibilities you would have as an intern, and what time commitment may be required. If interested in completing an internship there, find out who your supervisor would be, and develop a plan to be involved, including a start and finish date. Some organizations may require a formal application and interview.
2. Consult with the Psychology Internship Coordinator as needed by email (Lauren Keroack, email: keroacklj@appstate.edu).
3. When emailing the Internship Coordinator, always keep the same email thread. This way the Coordinator can easily track where you are in the process of setting up your internship. There are often many other prospective interns emailing in the same week.
4. Attend an internship info session at the beginning of the semester prior to when you plan to intern. These sessions are typically held in early September and early February. The info session dates will be emailed to all psychology majors. If you are unable to attend one of the live sessions, you may request a recording from the Internship Coordinator.
5. Fill out the Internship Interest Survey to indicate your interest in completing an internship the following semester. This survey will be emailed to all psychology majors. You may also request a link to the survey from the Internship Coordinator by emailing keroacklj@appstate.edu.
6. If you meet the academic criteria to enroll in the internship course, the Internship Coordinator will email you with a list of next steps. This will involve the completion of departmental and university internship paperwork. It is critical that you complete the required paperwork in a timely manner and respond promptly to any emails sent by the Internship Coordinator.
7. The paperwork process can take 4+ weeks to complete due to the multiple levels of review and approval required. After your paperwork has been approved by the department and university, the Internship Coordinator will initiate your course registration for PSY 4905. You cannot register for this course yourself.
8. If your Internship will be international (outside the US), you will also need to work with the Office of International Education and Development for approval in addition to completing the normal internship paperwork.

Note:

Internship credit cannot be awarded retroactively. All internship hours must be completed in the semester (or summer) a student is taking the PSY 4905 course. Furthermore, students are not permitted to start at their internships prior to being enrolled in PSY 4905 or prior to the start date indicated on their paperwork.

Internship Pre-Requisites 

• Declared psychology major
• Minimum 60 earned credits
• Completion of PSY 3100 (Research Methods in Psychology)
• 2.0 major GPA
• 2.0 cumulative GPA

Deadlines

These are the dates by which a prospective intern must submit their initial internship paperwork (i.e. unsigned draft of the departmental agreement) to the Internship Coordinator.

Fall internships: July 15

Spring internships: November 15

Summer internships: April 15

Funding for Internships: Hatch Scholarship

Funding for internship experience, typically for a summer intern, is awarded on a competitive basis via the Hatch Scholarship fund. Applications are solicited early in spring semester. Make sure to watch your email for an announcement.

See the Hatch Scholarship web page for more information.

Psychology Internship Coordinator

The Undergraduate Psychology Internship Coordinator, Lauren Keroack, can be reached at keroacklj@appstate.edu