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Psychology Department

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Internships

Important Notes:

  • Psychology students must attend one orientation session during the first several weeks of the fall and spring semesters, when PSYC Internship Orientation sessions are offered.  Instructors, posters, and emails will announce the date/time/place of the meetings to relevant students.
  • Internship paperwork must be completed the semester before going into the field. Instructions to access them are in step 9 below.

 

*Note for International Students: If you are applying for an internship you must meet with the Designated School Official (DSO) before beginning the internship to complete required paperwork and obtain an authorized I-20.  Please visit the Career Services site to review the Application Process for Elective Credit Internships for International Students and Eligibility Requirements for International Students drop-down sections for details.

Preparing for Internship: 10 Steps for Setting Up Your Internship Placement

Course Descriptions

Under the supervision of both a faculty supervisor and field professional, students take the theories and principles learned in the classroom and apply them to their work in a field setting. Students acquire knowledge and new skills while providing service to the community. The internship experience facilitates awareness of the working world and helps students with their career development. A minimum of two 3-credit internship experiences are recommended for all Psychology majors. Students have the option of completing an internship during their junior year or during their senior year. Students may choose to take internship courses concurrently or across separate semesters to create part-time or full-time experiences.

Prerequisites and Limits

  • Internship is graded as P (Pass) or NC (No Credit).
  • Internship experiences may NOT be used to fulfill the Psychology electives requirement of the Psychology major.
  • Students shall not register for more than 12 credits of Internship in one semester (because registering for 12 credits in one semester would require that students work a full-time internship schedule: 36 to 40 hours a week for a total of 500 work hours).
  • Students cannot complete more than 15 credits of Psychology Internship during the undergraduate program.
  • Students must attend an internship orientation meeting.
  • Students must complete the Code of Ethics and Professional Behavior Form, which must then be reviewed by the Internship Coordinator and found to be satisfactory. Students must agree to act within the bounds of the Code of Ethics of the American Psychological Association (see www.apa.org).
  • Students cannot begin at an internship site without the review and approval of the Code of Ethics and Professional Behavior Form and the Internship Contract by the Internship Coordinator.

Note: Second semester juniors who are in the Marist Abroad programs may propose to do a part-time (3 credit) internship experience abroad.
These students must:

  • Follow all of the regulations of Marist Abroad.
  • Speak with their Psychology major advisor regarding planning their academic program.
  • Complete the Marist Abroad's Academic Planning Form. This form must be signed by the student's academic advisor, Internship Coordinator, and the Chair of the Psychology Department in order to authorize the abroad internship.
  • Follow the Psychology Internship Manual.

Internship Course Sequence & Course Numbers for Registration

Scheduling note: 

The Internship Sequence of Courses and their respective course numbers are:

  • Internship I: PSYC487N (3 credits; for the first 3 credits of Internship)
  • Internship II: PSYC488N (3 credits; for students who have already registered for PSYC487N and would like to register for another 3 credits of Internship)
  • Internship III: PSYC489N (3 credits; for students who have already registered for PSYC487N AND PSYC488N and would like to register for another 3 credits of Internship)
  • Internship IV: PSYC490N (3 credits; for students who have already registered for PSYC487N AND PSYC488N AND PSYC489N, and would like to register for another 3 credits of Internship)
  • Internship V: PSYC491N (3 credits; for students who have already registered for PSYC487N AND PSYC488N and PSYC489N AND PSYC490N, and would like to register for another 3 credits of Internship)

Internship I can be completed during the junior or senior year. Students can register for more than one internship course in one semester in order to achieve the desired workload. For example, students who choose to do six credits of internship would register for both PSYC487N and PSYC488N concurrently. Students can also choose to spread out their internship across multiple semesters.

Notes:

  • Students may begin their internship no earlier than the first day of the semester's classes. The internship must be completed before the last day of the semester's exam period.
  • Internship hours must be spread evenly across the semester; a student cannot concentrate hours (e.g., work overtime) for a shorter period without approval from the Internship Coordinator. Requests must be submitted in writing.
  • Students shall not register for more than 12 credits of internship in one semester (because registering for 12 credits in one semester would require that students work a full-time Internship schedule: 36 to 40 hours a week for a total of 500 work hours).
  • Students cannot complete more than 15 credits of a Psychology Internship during the undergraduate program.

Student Learning Outcomes of the Psychology Major and Internship Program

The Internship Program provides a culminating experience that will challenge students to meet the student learning outcomes of the Psychology major as outlined below:

Goal 1: Knowledge Base in Psychology
Students should demonstrate fundamental knowledge and comprehension of the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends and empirical findings to discuss how psychological principles apply to behavioral problems.

Goal 2: Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking
The skills in this domain involve the development of scientific reasoning and problem solving, including effective research methods.

Goal 3: Ethical and Social Responsibility in a Diverse World
The skills in this domain involve the development of ethically and socially responsible behaviors for professional and personal settings in a landscape that involves increasing diversity.

Goal 4: Communication
Students should demonstrate competence in writing and in oral and interpersonal communication skills.

Goal 5: Professional Development
The emphasis in this goal is on application of psychology-specific content and skills, effective self-reflection, project management skills, teamwork skills, and career preparation.

 

Who's Who in the Internship Process and Contact Information

There are several people involved in the process of setting up and performing an internship experience that students need to be familiar with:

  1. The Intern
  2. The PSYC Internship Coordinator
  3. The Site Contact Person
  4. The Site Supervisor
  5. The Faculty Supervisor
  6. The PSYC Chair and Faculty

Intern - the undergraduate PSYC student completing the internship requirement.

PSYC Internship Program Coordinator - the Marist faculty member who administers the PSYC Major Internship Program. Some of the responsibilities of the coordinator include: providing orientation meetings to students, updating the internship manual and list of sites, approving new internship sites, approving internship contracts, handling requests by students to deviate from the standard policies and practices of the internship process, supervising the faculty supervisors, and creating procedures to administer the program effectively. Currently, the Internship Coordinator is:

  • Yasmine Awais, PhD, LCAT
    Marist University
    3399 North Road
    Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-1387
    phone: (845) 575-3000 x2060
    email: yasmine.awais@marist.edu

Site Contact Person - this is the person identified by the internship site to be a gatekeeper for all contacts from students seeking field experiences. An agency may receive calls/emails from many students, not only from Marist, but also from other area colleges. Thus, it is more efficient for each site to have one designated contact person. In some cases, the contact person is the same individual as the Site Supervisor.

Site Supervisor - the professional at an internship site who has taken responsibility for the orientation, training, education, and close supervision of the intern. The site supervisor must have a proper education, training, and experience in psychology or related background to responsibly supervise the intern. The Site Supervisor maintains communication with the Faculty Supervisor regarding the intern's progress and performance. The Site Supervisor also evaluates the intern at the midway point of the internship, and again formally (via the Evaluation Form) at the end of the experience. The Faculty Supervisor uses this information when assigning a grade.

Faculty Supervisor - the Marist faculty member who is the instructor to the interns during the semester. The Faculty Supervisor is the Marist liason who supervises the groups of interns and performs duties that include: ensuring that the internship contract agreements are carried out, communicating with interns and site supervisors, reviewing the interns' paperwork assignments (journals, time sheets, papers, etc.), visiting the internship site, troubleshooting issues that arise, conducting the mandatory group supervision meetings for interns, and assigning the grades.

Currently, the Faculty Supervisor is:

The Psychology Department Chair and Faculty - the Internship Coordinator reports to the Chair of the department regarding the administering of the program. The Psychology Faculty sets and amends major policies regarding the internship requirement of the psychology major. Currently, the chair is:

  • Mary Stone, Ph.D.
    Chair, Psychology Department
    Marist University
    3399 North Road
    Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-1387
    phone: (845) 575-3000, x2961
    email: Mary.Stone@marist.edu

Preparation Deadlines

The time to set up an Internship Placement is the SEMESTER BEFORE you go out into the field.

Students must have arranged for an internship placement, submitted the Code of Ethics and Professional Behavior Form, and the signed/approved Internship Contract to the Internship Coordinator via Brightspace according to the following deadlines:

  • For Fall Semester Internship, the forms must be completed by April 25th of the previous Spring Semester.
  • For Spring Semester Internship, the forms must be completed by December 1st of the previous Fall Semester.
  • For the 12-week Summer Semester Internship, the forms must be completed by April 25th of the previous Spring Semester.
  • Requesting an Extension of a Deadline: A request must be submitted in writing to the Internship Coordinator for an extension of a deadline. The proposal/request must be accompanied by a substantive explanation/rationale. (Procrastination is not an acceptable reason.)
  • NOTE: The following special proposals/requests must be submitted in writing (along with a rationale) to the Internship Coordinator at least ONE MONTH prior to the respective deadline dates specified above:
    1. Proposing a NEW internship site.
    2. Requesting exceptions to any of the internship policies in this manual.
  • Paperwork is to be submitted to the internship Brightspace site. The site will be available to you once you register for internship.

 

The Internship Coordinator for the undergraduate Psychology students is:

Yasmine Awais, PhD, LCAT
Marist University
3399 North Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-1387
phone: (845) 575-3000 x2060
email: yasmine.awais@marist.edu

Workload

The PSYC major requires a total of 6 credits of Internship.

Students must work 9 hours/week spread over 14 weeks for every 3 credits of Internship.

  • Registering for 3 credits = 9 hours/week over 14 weeks of a semester: a total minimum of 125 hours.
  • Registering for 6 credits = 18 hours/week over 14 weeks of a semester: a total minimum of 250 hours.
  • Registering for 9 credits = 27 hours/week over 14 weeks of a semester: a total minimum of 375 hours.
  • Registering for 12 credits = 36 hours/week over 14 weeks of a semester: a total minimum of 500 hours.

It should be noted that the summer session is shorter than fall and winter semesters. Each 3-credit internship must meet the total minimum of 125 internship hours.

Internship Course Sequence and Course Numbers for Registration

The Internship Sequence of Courses and their respective Course Numbers are:

  • Internship I: PSYC487N (3 credits; for the first 3 credits of internship)
  • Internship II: PSYC488N (3 credits; for students who have already registered for PSYC487N and would like to register for another 3 credits of internship)
  • Internship III: PSYC489N (3 credits; for students who have already registered for PSYC487N and PSYC488N, and would like to register for another 3 credits of internship)
  • Internship IV: PSYC490N (3 credits; for students who have already registered for PSYC487N AND PSYC488N AND PSYC489N, and would like to register for another 3 credits of internship)
  • Internship V: PSYC491N (3 credits; for students who have already registered for PSYC487N AND PSYC488N AND PSYC489N AND PSYC490N, and would like to register for another 3 credits of internship)

Internship can be completed during the junior year or during the senior year.

Additional Workload Notes:

  • Students may begin their internship no earlier than the first day of the semester's classes. The internship must be completed before the last day of the semester's exam period.
  • Internship hours must be spread evenly across the semester; a student cannot concentrate hours (e.g., work overtime) for a shorter period without approval from the Internship Coordinator. Requests must be submitted in writing.
  • Students shall not register for more than 12 credits of Internship in one semester (because registering for 12 credits in one semester would require that students work a full-time internship schedule: 36 to 40 hours a week for a total of 500 work hours).
  • Students cannot complete more than 15 credits of Psychology Internship during the undergraduate program.

Current internship offerings can be viewed here. NOTICE: This directory is intended for use by only persons entitled to receive the information it contains (i.e., Marist Psychology Students, Marist Psychology Faculty, and Marist Internship Partners). Please do not read, copy, forward, or store this information unless you are an intended recipient of it. This directory is not to be used for any fundraising, sales, or other non-university-related business or activity.

Apply to Pre-Approved Internship Placements

1. Plan early and do not procrastinate! Recall the deadlines for having an internship set up.

  • Since sites often take interns on a "first-come, first-chance-at-being-accepted" basis, students should act early to ensure that a greater number of sites will be available to them.
  • Also, students need to allow plenty of time for the other people involved to process and respond to internship application information.
  • Remember: A time crunch emergency for a student does not translate into a time crunch for a Site Supervisor or the Internship Coordinator.

2. Speak with your PSYC Academic Advisor about how you can make a meaningful choice of placement that connects with your career pursuits. Clarify the characteristics of the ideal experience, such as the type of:

  • Setting - research, school, residential, hospital, outpatient, business office, etc.
  • Age groups - children, adolescents, adults, etc.
  • Populations - developmentally disabled, psychiatric patients, criminals/juvenile delinquents, etc.
  • Responsibilities - work with people, administrative duties, teaching, research, counseling, etc.

3. Prepare to make contact: create lists of questions to ask over the phone, update resume, etc. Prepare to identify yourself and give the following information:

  • Indicate that you are a Marist Undergraduate Psychology major.
  • Tell them what "year" you are: junior or senior.
  • Indicate what semester you hope to do an internship.
  • Inform them of the internship schedule you are interested in: 9-, 18-, 27-, or 36-hour/week schedule.
  • Give them your contact information.

4. Make contact

  • Call or email, offer a resume, and schedule interviews (optional). The preferred means of contacting sites is via phone. Be clear on how and when you are available for them to try to reach you.
  • Dress professionally for interviews.
  • Bring your internship contract with you. If you decide that this will be the site for your internship, you already have the contract with you to complete with the site supervisor.
  • Give forethought to all the details to ask about. Students should be clear in knowing what their own needs and expectations are and those of the internship sites.
  • Get a description of internship activities and responsibilities.
  • Discuss scheduling of internship hours.

5. Accept, reject, or hold offers of internship positions.

  • Students must inform agencies of their decision to either accept or reject an offer of a position in a timely manner. Agencies need to know if their offer is being refused so that they may offer the intern position to another student.
  • After accepting a position, write up the required internship contract (see the Internship Contract section below under "What is Expected of Interns") with assistance from your site supervisor.
  • In some cases, a student might receive an offer, but needs time to think it over or time to see if another site will make an offer. In these cases, the student should clearly state that they are requesting to hold the offer for a specific amount of time, and then respond with an acceptance or rejection. Note: Internship sites are not obligated to say yes to such a request.

Proposing a New Internship Site

New internship placements may be proposed to the Internship Coordinator following the guidelines described below.

Note: The proposal of a new site must be submitted at least ONE MONTH before the internship paperwork submission deadline.

  1. Propose, in writing, the new internship site and provide a substantial rationale for why the proposed site is needed instead of any of the pre-approved sites.
  2. Provide student's contact information: email address, mailing address, phone and fax.
  3. Provide information about the agency: its mission, services, programs, staffing, populations served, and accreditation by organizations such as the State Department of Mental Health. This information is sometimes already prepared and made available by the agencies, for example in the form of brochures for the public. Such brochures or pamphlets could be attached to this proposal.
  4. Provide a description of internship job duties as delineated by the agency (NOT a list of duties created by the student). This needs to be as specific as possible since this is the crux of the internship experience.
  5. Provide the name, credentials, and years of experience of the proposed supervisor. Also include email address, mailing address, phone and fax numbers.
  6. Have a representative of the new site complete the Internship Site Directory Information Form.
  7. Send all this information to the Internship Coordinator, who will render a decision, usually within two weeks.
  8. The Internship Coordinator will add a new site to the site directory following its approval.

Internship Course Sequence & Course Numbers for Registration

The Internship Sequence of Courses and their respective course numbers are:

  • PSYC487N (3 credits; Required for PSYC major)
  • PSYC488N (3 credits; Required for PSYC major)
  • PSYC489N (3 credits; General Elective only; NOT counted as PSYC elective)
  • PSYC490N (3 credits; General Elective only; NOT counted as PSYC elective)
  • PSYC491N (3 credits; General Elective only; NOT counted as PSYC elective)

Notes:

  • Students may begin their internship no earlier than the first day of the semester's classes. The internship must be completed before the last day of the semester's exam period.
  • Internship hours must be spread evenly across the semester; a student cannot concentrate hours (e.g., work overtime) for a shorter period without approval from the Internship Coordinator. Requests must be submitted in writing.
  • Students shall not register for more than 12 credits of Internship in one semester (because registering for 12 credits in one semester would require that students work a full-time internship schedule: 36 to 40 hours a week for a total of 500 work hours).
  • Students cannot complete more than 15 credits of Psychology Internship during the undergraduate program.

Internship Contract and Code of Ethics Forms

Complete both forms and submit to the Internship Coordinator by the deadline:

1. The Internship Contract

2. The Code of Ethics and Professional Behavior

The Internship Coordinator is:

Yasmine Awais, PhD, LCAT
Marist University
3399 North Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-1387
phone: (845) 575-3000 x2060
email: yasmine.awais@marist.edu

Students Must abide by the following Policies and Procedures:

  • Once an internship site has been chosen, the student and Site Supervisor must complete the Internship Contract. The contract is a vital part of the internship process as it establishes the details of a learning experience that is the culmination of a student's academic career and shapes the transition towards the world of work. See the Internship Contract in the forms section.
  • Students are required to use their Marist e-mail account for communication purposes. Email is particularly important since it is difficult for the Faculty Supervisor, Internship Coordinator, and others to contact many students.
  • A NEW Internship Contract must be submitted for each semester that internship is performed, even if it is at the same site.
  • Students might consider having the Internship Coordinator review a draft of the contract before pursuing approval and signatures. Students are encouraged to retain a copy of their Internship Contract for their own records.
  • The contract must be approved and signed by the Site Supervisor, the Internship Student, and the Internship Coordinator. Students are not permitted to begin at an internship site without the contract having been approved and signed by the Internship Coordinator. Students must submit the internship contract to OneDrive for the Internship Coordinator's review and signature as the last step.
  • If multiple copies of the contract are required (e.g., a copy for the student, one for the site, etc.), the student should submit multiple copies to those who must sign them.
  • Regarding the stipulation of work schedule in the contract, it should be noted that during the fall and spring semesters, the internship hours must be spread across 14 workweeks. During the summer, there are fewer weeks available. Thus the internship hours must be spread across 12 workweeks. Internship is not permitted during the winter intersession.
  • Regarding internship start and end dates, students may begin their internship no earlier than the first day of the semester's classes. The internship must be completed before the last day of the semester's exam period.
  • Special Requests: Make requests, in writing, to the Internship Coordinator by the deadline whenever the student seeks a deviation from standard policies and procedures in any aspect of the internship process (e.g., request to start internship early or to end later than finals week, request to propose a new site beyond the one-hour-drive distance, etc.).
  • Students must complete the Code of Ethics and Professional Behavior Form, which must then be reviewed by the Internship Coordinator and found to be satisfactory. Students must agree to act within the bounds of the Code of Ethics of the American Psychological Association (see www.apa.org).
  • Students cannot begin at an internship site without the review and approval of the Code of Ethics and Professional Behavior Form and the Internship Contract by the Internship Coordinator.

Confirmation & Communications

I. Wait for the email from the Internship Coordinator

You must await an email that will indicate approval, or problems, with your internship preparation and forms.

These emails will be sent within 10 days past the deadline when the forms were due.

II. Wait for the email from your assigned Faculty Supervisor

Your faculty supervisor will send you the syllabus about a week before your internship semester begins. The syllabus will detail expectations regarding the requirements to earn a "P" (Passing) grade.

III. Students should email the Faculty Supervisor

Students should email their Faculty Supervisor if you have not received the email above.

Notes:

  • All students must use their @Marist.edu email account for all internship communications.
  • Students may begin their internship no earlier than the first day of the semester's classes. The internship must be completed before the last day of the semester's exam period.

Internship Sites and Supervisors

What is Expected of Marist

In terms of Internship Experience for Marist Psychology students, it is important that all parties involved understand what is expected of Marist. The appropriate Psychology Department faculty members (e.g., the Intership Coordinator, the Faculty Supervisors, etc.) will:

  • Confirm the eligibility of students proposing to go on an internship.
  • Make decisions regarding students' requests for exceptions to standard internship policies/procedures.
  • Determine the suitability of internship sites as placement for the students.
  • Determine reasonable limits regarding the number of students who are allowed to do an internship at a particular site.
  • Assign faculty supervisors to students for personal and professional support and to act as a liaison between the internship site and the College.
  • Help the students integrate their academic learning and field experiences.
  • Provide academic advising to assist in the clarification of career planning.
  • Assign a grade of "Pass" or "No Credit" for the fieldwork experience.
  • Provide Certificate of Insurance Liability forms when necessary

What is Expected of Internship Sites and Supervisors

The internship site and supervisor are expected to:

1. Provide an Internship Site Supervisor who…

  • Possesses appropriate levels of education/training given the level of the responsibilities given to students.
  • Is committed to the growth and development of students.
  • Has time to supervise Interns and is frequently available to the Intern.

2. Provide meaningful work and…

  • Provide an overview of job, work assignments, time frame, and application procedures.
  • Explore what activities and experiences the Intern is interested in pursuing.
  • Provide appropriate training to Interns so that they can perform their duties effectively.
  • Provide appropriate office space and resources so that the Interns can perform their jobs successfully.
  • Refrain from having Interns drive either their own or agency vehicles to transport the internship's personnel, clientele, patients, consumers, etc.
  • Refrain from having Interns engage in psychological testing activities in which the tests used require higher levels of education and training according to the specific test user qualification guidelines.
  • Refrain from having Interns perform restraints on persons served by an internship, unless the Intern has agreed to perform these duties and has been appropriately trained by the internship.

3. Select Interns through a responsible and fair process and...

  • Review resumes and interview Intern candidates as needed.
  • Have a policy not to discriminate against qualified applicants and employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, status as a Vietnam-era veteran, or special disabled veteran.
  • Approve and sign off on the Internship Contract.
  • Provide Interns with information regarding work attire, and agree on days and times they will be on site.
  • Inform Interns of required medical treatment/immunizations and cover the costs of such treatments whenever possible.

4. Supervise the Intern and…

  • Introduce Interns to staff members.
  • Provide an orientation to Interns.
  • Provide any training for the skills required to fulfill the role.
  • Meet with Interns at weekly supervision sessions to provide feedback.
  • Monitor and discuss the Intern's emotional and developmental responses to the work they are doing.
  • Keep in touch with the Faculty Supervisor as needed.

5. Give and Receive Evaluations…

  • Communicate with the Faculty Supervisor periodically to share information about the Intern's progress.
  • Conduct an end-of-experience evaluation of the Intern using the Evaluation of the Intern form. This form must be completed and sent to the Faculty Supervisor in a timely fashion, and is an important source of information for determination of the "Pass/No Credit" grade assigned by the Faculty Supervisor.

Request a Marist Certificate of Insurance/Liability

Contact the Internship Coordinator and include the following information in the request for the Certificate of Insurance:

  1. The name, title, and email address of the person requesting the certificate.
  2. The name, address, phone, and fax number of the agency where the certificate must be sent.
  3. The name(s) of the Marist PSYC student(s) performing an internship.
  4. Specific details of what is requested. For example, often a Certificate of Insurance specifically naming the internship site/agency as a certificate holder is usually requested. Also, sometimes the phrase "Marist Psychology internship students" is asked to be identified on the certificate.
  5. The dates of coverage must be stipulated. For example, if the student is doing an internship in the spring of 2025, the dates of coverage can read "Spring semester 2025."

Once the above information is received by the Internship Coordinator, the Certificate of Insurance will be requested from the Marist Business Office (Amaryah Popovic). The Business Office will send the certificate as soon as possible.

Below is the Internship Coordinator and contact information:

Yasmine Awais, PhD, LCAT
Marist College
3399 North Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601-1387
phone: (845) 575-3000 x2060
email: yasmine.awais@marist.edu