Practicum and Internship Opportunities
Gain real-world experience
Practicum and internship experiences give you an opportunity to explore the professional aspect of psychology and gain experience necessary for careers. While all practicum and internship experiences meet academic requirements, only a few are paid. By partnering with a community organization, you can make a difference while receiving direct experience within the field of psychology.
Each semester, there are more practicum opportunities than students to fill them.
Contact information:
For more information about practicum and internship opportunities, contact:
Cooperative Education: at (417) 836-4135, Carrington 303 or Dr. David Lutz at 417-836-5830, Hill Hall 424
Undergraduate practicum
Undergraduate students receive first-hand experience through guided research or field experiences with a number of community and government agencies. For each hour of academic credit, you must complete about 42-45 hours on-site, which is about 125 hours for a typical three hour course. In addition to completing hours on-site, you must keep a journal and write an integrative paper. For all requirements, see the course policy statement.
Prerequisites
To enroll in PSY 499, you must have completed PSY 121 plus 14 additional hours in psychology.
Finding a practicum
The selection of a placement site and application process to PSY 499 should begin at the beginning of the semester prior to when you wish to participate in the practicum. You can select one of three ways to obtain a practicum:
- Choose a site that has accepted students in the past or has expressed interest in working with a psychology student. A list of past sites is available.
- Contact the Cooperative Education office about its list of placement sites and the needs of those sites.
- Develop a practicum on your own by talking with the supervisor of a potential placement site. Dr. David Lutz, psychology practicum supervisor, must then approve your arranged practicum.
Applying to PSY 499
Once you have obtained a practicum site, you must then complete the following steps to enroll in the PSY 499 practicum class:
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Complete the first three pages of the Career Center's Student Learning Plan. You can type the information in the appropriate fields on the form, and then print those pages.
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Schedule an appointment with Dr. Lutz to complete the course permission forms and to receive permission to enroll in the course. Bring the completed Student Learning Plan with you.
- Enroll in PSY 499 online once permission is granted.
- Note that no hours at your practicum site count for academic credit until Dr. Lutz has formally approved your practicum.
Graduate practicum or internship
For all three graduate tracks, a practicum experience is required. For clinical students who choose the seminar option, three hours of graduate internship, PSY 798, are also required.
Prerequisites
To be considered for a practicum placement, you must be accepted into the master’s program. Clinical students must also have completed PSY 720, PSY 760, PSY 765 and PSY 766 to be eligible for a practicum.
To be eligible for an internship, you must have permission and have already completed a practicum experience.