Internships
Internship training is the final level of applied training in the Nicholls School Psychology Specialist program. Typically, the internship is a full-time supervised off-campus placement which takes place in an approved public school setting. The school psychology faculty may approve an alternative internship site. The length of the internship is typically one academic year with a minimum of 1,250 hours. At least 625 of the total hours must be in a school-based setting.
The primary purpose of the internship is to facilitate a student’s development into a competent professional school psychologist. This is achieved by candidate mastery of the skills they acquired during their training. During training, the intern gains experience at the elementary as well as the secondary school levels. Training takes place both in regular and special educational settings. The Specialist in School Psychology candidate will demonstrate proficiency in the following areas:
- School Psychology Practice and Development
- Data-Based Decision Making and Accountability
- Effective Instruction and Development of Cognitive/Academic Skills
- Dissemination of Information
- Accurate Work Completion
- Consultation and Collaboration
- Socialization and Development of Life Skills
- Prevention, Crisis Intervention and Mental Health
- Student Diversity in Development and Learning
- School and Systems Organization, Policy Development and Climate
- Home/School/Community Collaboration
- Information Technology
- Research
- Professional Conduct
To meet eligibility requirements for the Nicholls internship program, graduate candidates must meet the following requirements:
- Successful completion of at least 60 hours of graduate coursework including two semesters of externship.
- Prior to or concurrently with completion of PSYC 532, candidates must successfully complete a comprehensive written and oral examination in school psychology.
- Be eligible for and/or possess provisional school psychologist certification from the state in which they are completing their internship.
- The internship setting must be approved by school psychology program faculty. A Memorandum of Affiliation must be signed by the internship site supervisor. An internship plan must be developed and approved by school psychology program faculty.