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Internships

Internship Overview

Internships can provide valuable, experiential learning experiences that complement classroom learning.

Students can earn course credit, ranging from 0 to 6 credit hours by registering for PSY 340 (Psychology Internship). The number of credit hours earned depends on the number of hours the student works at an internship site.

  • Credits count toward graduation credit requirements as electives, but can’t be used to meet specific course requirements for the Psychology major.
  • 0 credit is a good option for summer internship if credit hours for graduation aren’t needed.
  • Students do not pay tuition for “0 credit” experiences, but the experience does show up on a transcript as PSY 340, 0 credit.

At the end of the experience, the site supervisor will be asked to report back to Miami University about whether the student met the learning outcomes and successfully completed the internship as agreed upon.  A grade (Pass or Fail) and Course credit will be awarded upon notification from the supervisor that the student met the learning outcomes and completed the internship as agreed upon.

Learn More

Visit our University Policy Library page to learn more specific information about our internship policy.

What Makes a Good Internship?

  • students-standing-in-front-of-boaardApplied experience directly related to any area of psychology (e.g., clinical, social, cognitive, developmental, etc), neuroscience, mental health, or the application of psychology in a business setting.
  • Involves tasks/activities in a professional setting that help to prepare a student for work they will do after graduation with a bachelor's degree or higher.
  • Takes place outside of the University classroom (e.g., clinical setting, community setting, industry/business).
  • Includes regular individual or group supervision by a designated professional supervisor who has expertise and professional experience related to the internship.
  • Connected to Psychology coursework (previous or current).
  • 3-4 Learning Objectives that the student will master as a result of the internship are clearly identified. 
  • Supervisor and student agree on expectations such as time commitment, days of the week, and the number of hours on-site.

Steps

  1. Find an internship that is related to the field of psychology and relates to coursework you have completed in psychology. Options for finding an internship include:
    1. Find your own internship that reflects the criteria for a good internship specified above.
      1. Create a profile on Linkedin to connect with potential employers and search for opportunities.
      2. Indeed has a diverse range of internships posting for opportunities across the United States.
    2. Request to join the Center for Psychological Inquiry’s Canvas site (Psychology Department resource) which contains resources for finding an internship.
    3. Contact the MU Center for Career Exploration and Success.
      1. Request an appointment with a CAS Career Advisor.
      2. Use Handshake to search for full-time, part-time, co-op / internship, and non-profit positions.
  2. Contact the site and identify a supervisor or mentor who will supervise/mentor you, help you develop learning objectives, and communicate with Miami about the internship. Work with that supervisor to develop:
    1. A high-quality learning experience that is related to psychology.
    2. 3-4 specific learning objectives.
    3. An agreed-upon work schedule (number of hours per week/semester, days of the week, etc).
  3. Complete the Formstack application. You will need to have identified an internship supervisor before completing the Formstack application. You will be asked for details about the organization/site, the name, credentials, degrees and contact information for your supervisor, how the internship activities are related to Psychology and how the activities of the internship build upon specific courses you have taken in Psychology. You will also be asked about how much supervision you will be receiving, the number of hours per week, and the time frame for the internship.
  4. Dr. Green & Dr. Cropenbaker will review the formstack application and let you know whether the internship is approved for course credit (PSY 340).
  5. When the internship has been approved, you (the student) will work with the site supervisor to develop 3-4 learning objectives and to finalize the work schedule and hours expectation.
    1. Students are welcome to communicate with Dr. Green or Dr. Cropenbaker about their learning objectives before entering them into the Handshake system (see step 7) to confirm that the learning objectives are acceptable.
    2. Work hours per semester dictate the maximum number of course credits a student can register for. 
  6. The student will register for the internship experience using Handshake.
    1. The student will need contact information about the site and supervisor, work schedule, number of work hours planned, number of credits requested, and learning objectives available to enter into the Handshake system. 
    2. Dr. Green/Dr. Cropenbaker (Psychology Department) will review and approve the internship in Handshake.
    3. The site supervisor will also be contacted through the Handshake system to approve the details of the internship.
  7. Once the experience has been approved by the Department and the site supervisor within Handshake, the student will be automatically registered for PSY 340.
  8. At the end of the semester, the site supervisor will be contacted to inquire about whether the learning objectives were met and whether the student met expectations for completing the agreed-upon work schedule and hours.  If these are affirmed, the student will be assigned a Passing grade and will earn course credit for PSY 340.

Department of Psychology

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