About the Program

What is a Practicum in Applied Psychology?

The Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology Department aims to equip students with the critical skills and knowledge necessary for continued occupational, educational, and personal advancement in Psychology and related disciplines. In addition, the department strives to foster an environment in which students are encouraged to identify their values and vocational aspirations, apply their disciplinary training and knowledge to an increasingly complex world, and recognize their important role in society as members of a vital citizenry.

The Practicum in Applied Psychology (APSY2152) is a course-based, credit-bearing experience that allows students to:

  1. develop experience at a professional work setting reflecting the student’s main area or vocational orientation with supervision by faculty and,
  2. develop professionally and practice work related skills.

Students will reflect on their internship experience in order to identify and assess their growth in skills and experience, gain a broader appreciation of the discipline and enhance their sense of civic responsibility.

How do students qualify for a practicum experience?

Preference will be given to Juniors and Seniors who have completed at least 12 credit hours of APHD/EDUC courses prior to the semester of Applied Psychology Practicum (APSY2152) enrollment.

Sophomores ​and students who are minoring in Applied Psychology ​interested in taking the class will be considered on a case by case basis determined by fit. Interested Sophomores should complete a Field Placement Application form and meet with the Applied Psych Practicum advisor prior to being admitted to the class.

Students should be able to:

  1. Describe key concepts, principles, perspectives, and overarching themes in psychology
  2. Describe applications of psychology
  3. Demonstrate effective writing
  4. Exhibit effective presentation skills
  5. Demonstrate technological skills
  6. Exhibit psychology information literacy
  7. Demonstrate successful teamwork through collaboration on small group projects
  8. Recognize the value and application of research and problem-solving skills in providing evidence and tackling complex problems

Students should prepare for and expect to participate in professional and direct engagement with the practicum site over the course of a semester. Typical practicum experiences require 8-12 hours a week. For a regular 15 week semester, a 3 credit practicum course will equate to approximately 225 hours. Be prepared for a large time commitment and schedule your classes accordingly.

How should students prepare for a practicum experience in APSY2152?

Students should contact a Practicum Advisor to begin to discuss the process. Students will complete a Field Placement Application form and bring it to the meeting with the Advisor. During the initial meeting, students will be advised as to their readiness to begin the practicum experience. The Advisor will provide recommendations on how to improve qualifications for practicum if benchmarks have not yet been met. In addition, the Advisor will begin to identify a practicum experience that meets the student’s career goals and will help to prepare a resume and correspondence to an internship site.

Prior to enrolling in APSY2152, students will also attend a required practicum preparation workshop. The practicum preparation workshop is designed to help students transition to a practicum site and will address ethics, communication strategies, values, self-regulation strategies, and professional development. Upon completion of the pre-practicum workshop, students will be able to:

  1. Describe key regulations in the APA Ethics Code, identify obvious violations of ethical standards, and describe how ethical principles of psychology have relevance to professional settings.
  2. Describe the need for positive personal values (e.g., integrity, benevolence, honesty, respect for human dignity) in building strong relationships with others.
  3. Explain how individual differences, culture, social identity, and worldview may influence beliefs, values, and interactions with others and vice versa.
  4. Interact effectively with others through careful listening, appropriate electronic communications, attending to nonverbal cues, and asking questions to capture additional detail. Recognize that culture, values, biases may produce misunderstanding in communication.
  5. Exhibit self-regulation (e.g., time management, self-assessment, effort, reflection)
  6. Articulate skill sets and experiences desired by employers to develop a CV or resume

The Applied Psychology Practicum Course (APSY2152)

Students will gain real-world learning experiences by working with professionals in an applied setting that is relevant to psychology. In general, the practicum experience will provide students the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the major; gain exposure to potential career paths; develop competency working in diverse settings, with diverse populations; build mentor and other network relationships; and develop professional skills.

Much of the learning will occur at the placement site, under the guidance of an on-site supervisor. Students, in collaboration with practicum site supervisors and course instructors, , should develop a practicum plan (i.e., individualized learning objectives & assessment plan).

Appropriate practicum learning objectives, informed by the APA Guidelines for the

Undergraduate Psychology Major (Version 2.0, Aug 2013), include:

  1. Articulate how psychological principles can be used to explain social issues, address pressing societal needs, and/or inform public policy
  2. Exhibit high standards of positive personal values in interpersonal and work-related relationships
  3. Pursue personal opportunities to promote civic, social, and global outcomes that benefit the community
  4. Apply relevant psychology content knowledge to facilitate a more effective workplace
  5. Expect and adapt to interaction complexity, including factors related to diversity of backgrounds, in work organizations
  6. Apply the ethical principles of psychology to professional and workplace settings.
  7. Design deliberate efforts to produced desired self-management outcomes (e.g., self-regulation, hardiness, resilience)
  8. Accurately self-assess performance quality by adhering to external standards and their own performance criteria
  9. Pursue and respond appropriately to feedback from supervisors and experts to improve performance
  10. Develop and execute strategies for exceeding project criteria or, in the absence of such criteria, to meet their own project performance criteria
  11. Actively develop alternative strategies, including conflict management, to contend with potential problems
  12. Work effectively with diverse populations
  13. Formulate career plan contingencies based on accurate self-assessment of abilities, achievement, motivation, and work habits
  14. Develop evidence of attaining skill sets desired by employers
  15. Update a curriculum vitae or resume
  16. Describe and execute problem-solving and research methods to facilitate effective workplace solutions
  17. Identify range of possible factors that influence beliefs and conclusions; Disregard or challenge flawed sources of information
  18. Apply psychological knowledge and skills to practical situations in the workplace and community

More specialized learning objectives can be formulated according to personal goals and the placement setting (e.g., group facilitation, program evaluation, introductory assessment skills).

Recommended Reading:

Baird, B.N. (2014). The internship, practicum, and field placement handbook: A guide for the helping professions 7/e. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.