Announcing a 3-credit internship opportunity for Psychology majors!

 

Catalog Description:

PSY 593, PSY 594   Psychology Internship

 

The Psychology Internship is a supervised career-related professional experience that allows students to integrate information from academic psychology coursework with practice in the workplace.  Requirements will include writing assignments that demonstrate this integration of knowledge.  Open to juniors and seniors only.  Permission of Psychology Undergraduate Director and Departmental Authorization required.

 

PSY 593-594 during the school year:

During the academic year, these courses will be taught in conjunction with POL 593 and POL 594, so students can receive course credit in Psychology for the Psychology Internship while taking the Washington Internship with Dr. Kromkowski.  Students should begin by approaching the Undergraduate Director in Psychology prior to registration for the semester in which the course will be completed.  After determining that the desired internship fits the student’s major program, and that the work to be done at the agency or organization is representative of the field of Psychology, the student will be given approval to sign up for the Psychology.  Interns typically work 12-15 hours/week over a period of 14 weeks, in addition to class time (WED 6:10-8:00 p.m.).  At least five short (5-7 pp.) papers and a presentation are usually required, along with a final assessment consisting of the site-supervisor’s evaluation and other measurable evidence of your internship (e.g., a journal of your activities; a representative sample of work you produced).

 

PSY 593-594 during the summer:

Over the summer, students will arrange PSY 593 or PSY 594 like an Independent Study supervised by a specific Psychology faculty member of the student’s choice, who agrees to be accessible by phone or e-mail.  The experience should be a minimum of 170 on-site hours.  Students should begin by approaching the Undergraduate Director in Psychology no later than March 15th. After determining that the desired internship fits the student’s major program, and that the work to be done at the agency or organization is representative of the field of Psychology, the student will be given approval to sign up for the Psychology Internship.  Approval for academic credit for an internship experience must be granted prior to the start of the internship – approval cannot be granted retroactively.  Regardless of the supervising faculty member, interns will complete similar papers and assessments and meet the same academic requirements as the Psychology Internship during the school year.

 

See the Arts & Sciences Advising Handbook for additional information:  “A limit of 6 credits in internships may be counted toward the undergraduate degree.  A given internship may be counted as only one course; you cannot receive two course credits for the same internship, even if it extends over two semesters.”

 

PSY 593 and 594 will count as elective courses in Psychology. 

 

For more information, contact:

Carol R. Glass, Ph.D., Director of Undergraduate Studies and Internship Advisor

Department of Psychology

326 O’Boyle Hall

The Catholic University of America

Washington, DC  20064

Phone: 202-319-5759                          e-mail: glass@cua.edu

 

Internship Guidelines:

 

·          First, the student should discuss her or his plans with the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Psychology, who must approve all proposed internships as relevant to Psychology.  Internships are often very competitive, so get departmental approval and start the application process as early as possible in the semester before you intend to intern.  Your internship must be approved before you can officially be “listed” for the Psychology Internship (PSY 593 or 594) in Cardinal Students and thus able to register for this course during the registration period.

 

·          For summer internships, after getting departmental approval, the student must find a faculty member in Psychology willing to supervise the internship.  It makes sense to approach CUA faculty who are in the same field of Psychology as the proposed internship.

 

·          The student must develop the internship opportunity.  Information about available internships is available through the Career Services office or on their website (http://careers.cua.edu/).  See also the “Internship and Volunteer Opportunities in Psychology” link on the Psychology Department’s Undergraduate Programs website; some may be appropriate for course credit: http://psychology/cua.edu/undergrad.  Students are also responsible for making contact with organizations and fulfilling their application procedures.

 

·          The work done during the internship must include substantial responsibilities in the field sufficient to justify awarding of academic credit.

 

·          The participating organization/agency must provide a supervisor and contact person.

 

·          During the academic year, the internship will include regular class meetings (as specified in the schedule of classes) in addition to written assignments.

 

·          To be eligible to register for a Psychology Internship, the student must have officially been accepted as a major in Psychology (i.e., successfully completed PSY 201, 322, 350, and at least one other course in Psychology) and have junior or senior status with a 2.5 cumulative GPA. 

 

·          After being accepted by an organization, an internship contract is developed between the student, organization, and Psychology Department.  This contract consists of the following:

 

1.   The name of the student and the name of the organization;

2.   The name of the supervising faculty member in Psychology (summer only);

3.  A statement of the educational value of the internship;

4.   A description of the duties of the internship;

5.   The beginning and ending dates, plus a weekly schedule of hours (which must equal at least 170 over the course of the internship);

6.   The name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the person who will supervise the student at the internship site, and who agrees to consult with the faculty;

7.   A description of how the student’s work will be evaluated at the internship site;

8.   An agreement by the student to attend scheduled internship class meetings on campus (if PSY 593 or 594 is taken during the regular academic year).

 

$          After finalizing the internship contract with the supervisor at the organization, a copy of the contract should be given to the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Psychology.  At this time, you will be officially “listed” for the Psychology Internship (PSY 593 or 594) in Cardinal Students, and will be able to register for this course during the registration period.  A copy of the contract should also be given to Dr. Kromkowski (for academic year internships), or to the supervising faculty member in Psychology (for summer internships).