Internship

The internship is an essential component of the doctoral program in school psychology.  The internship is the culminating training experience to prepare individuals to function as independent professionals.  An internship provides students with the opportunity to take substantial responsibility for carrying out professional functions as school psychologists in the context of appropriate supervision.  Furthermore, the internship facilitates the further development and integration of knowledge and skills gained from didactic instruction and practicum work. 

Although there may be exceptions, the internship occurs primarily apart from the training program and is administered primarily by the internship setting.  Nevertheless, the internship must consist of supervised experiences that will increase the student’s knowledge and skill level.  It is the responsibility of the student to present an internship plan that provides for new experiences.  Intern supervision is the joint responsibility of the University and internship supervisors.

The internship is further defined by its length and placement in the overall training sequence. 

Students spend a calendar year (or two years half time) at an internship setting approved by the School Psychology faculty.  The Ph.D. program endorses standards for internships as developed by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Council of Directors of School Psychology Programs (CDSPP).  Students are expected to select an APPIC-approved internship or an approved experience within a school or clinic setting which clearly meets the rigorous standards set forth by the profession and summarized under Guidelines for Defining Supervised Experience in an “Organized Health Service Training Program” in Psychology.

During the past 7 years, our program has had 23 interns.  All students applying for an internship have been able to obtain one and all have been paid internships.  Five of 23 students have been placed in APPIC sites, 14 in APA-approved sites, 1 in a school site that would meet CDSPP standards, and 2 have had half-time positions for 2 years.

Questions concerning internship should be directed to the Internship Coordinator, Dr. Kit Gerken, 362 LC, 353-5333; or email kathryn-gerken@uiowa.edu. 

• Student Qualifications
• Internship Application
• Objectives for Internship Experiences
• General Range of Activities and Time Allocation
• Additional Structured Learning Experiences
• Internship Activities for Experienced School Psychologists
• Internship Credit Registration
• Appropriate Internship Settings
• Number of Different Settings Per Internship
• Approval by University
• Specifications and Contracting of Internship Experiences
• Site Supervision of Internship
• University Supervision of Internship
• Internship Evaluation
• Appeal Process