Near the completion of the content courses, the student should contact his/her advisor
for a copy of the Practicum/Internship guidelines.
After receiving approval to take the practicum/internship, the student should contact
facilities which might host the practicum. Only those facilities in which a licensed
mental health professional is available for on-site supervision will be approved.
A file of previous practicum/internship sites is available from the Graduate Coordinator.
The student may conduct the practicum/internship at a site not previously used, with
permission of the advisor.
The student, along with the on-site practicum/internship supervisor, is required to
develop a written contract. The contract specifies practicum/internship expectations
and includes details on the nature of the experience and supervision, duration of
the practicum/internship (starting and ending dates), proof of liability insurance,
and any other expectations that the supervisor deems relevant. The contract must be
signed by the student, the on-site supervisor, and the approved practicum instructor
prior to the start of the practicum/internship experience. A copy of the contract
must be retained by each party.
The contract must be given to the practicum/internship faculty advisor who will confirm
the agreement if it is acceptable and will send a confirming statement and student
evaluation form to the agency.
As stated previously, student must obtain liability insurance coverage for the duration
of the practicum/internship experience. Student membership in APA is required to buy
such coverage from Kirke-Van Orsdel Incorporated (the provider to the APA). Coverage
can be obtained by calling 1-800-852-9987.
The student's grade for the practicum/internship will depend on the evaluation made
by the agency and a written case study or a paper graded by the supervising faculty
member. Specific requirements for the written case study or paper can be obtained
from the practicum/internship instructor.
The student is also required to attend practicum/internship meetings with their practicum
instructor. Each student enrolled in practicum/internship is also required to present
at one of the meetings on a particular case/clinical issue they have been exposed
to during their practicum/internship experience.
Degree requirements include two practicum (PSY615) credits and 4 internship (PSY616)
credits. One practicum credit hour (PSY615) may be awarded for every 50 clock hours
of practicum experience. One internship (PSY616) hour may be awarded for every 60
clock hours of internship experience.
