Academics

Internship Opportunities in Psychology

An internship is a significant opportunity offered in the undergraduate psychology program at Salem State. The internship experience and the supervision provided by both a faculty member and an internship site supervisor allows students to gain knowledge about a specific area of interest in psychology, narrow career choices, clarify career goals, and learn more about where they might (or might not) want to work. After completing an internship many of our students have the added benefit of being recruited for paid, non-internship positions in their internship settings.

A psychology internship at Salem State is a three credit course (PSY 520) which includes an academic component as well as on site responsibilities. Students are required to perform a minimum of 120 hours of unpaid work in the field and meet regularly with their faculty sponsor.

Application Procedures

To help students successfully select and participate in an internship experience students are encouraged to enroll in an internship preparation course (PSY 519) prior to the planned internship. The course provides an opportunity for students to navigate the preparatory steps to secure a psychology internship and prepare for the rigor and professional role required in an internship placement. Alternatively, if a student is clear about the specific internship desired, the student may work directly with a faculty sponsor to secure the internship placement.

The psychology department has working liaisons with many professional settings that serve a variety of populations. Students typically intern in sites that have established relationships with the department but additional internship sites may be approved if the student finds an appropriate setting. See the Internship FAQ for more information.

A selection of internship placements of former psychology majors, the populations served and the supervisor’s job title are listed below: