Frequently Asked Questions about Senior Experience in Psychology

What are the prerequisites for Senior Experience (i.e., internships and senior research projects)?

PSYC 394 Prerequisites

Psyc 394 is taken during the fall semester of your senior year. To take Psyc 394, you must have successfully completed Psyc 300 and Psyc 252 and we strongly encourage having completed 253 as well. Note about summer field internships and research internships: In order to do a summer field internship (a placement at a site off-campus during the summer) or a research internship (an independent research project), you must successfully complete Psyc 253 by the end of your junior year. Those doing field internships during the fall of their senior year may take Psyc 253 concurrently, but it is strongly recommended that you complete it during your junior year.

Psyc 395 Prerequisites

Psyc 395 is taken during the spring semester of your senior year. To take Psyc 395, you need to have successfully completed Psyc 253.

Coursework

We strongly encourage students to take courses that are relevant to their internship experiences (both field and research) either prior to their internship or during their internship. For example, a student who is interested in working with children should make a point to take developmental psychology courses. Students interested in psychological issues in the workplace should make a point to take courses in industrial/organizational psychology or social psychology. Although there are no prerequisites for particular internships, remember that you will be writing scholarly papers on a topic that is related to your senior experience, so it will serve you well to have some understanding of the background literature before your research and writing.

What is Psyc 300?

Psyc 300 is the orientation course to Senior Experience course that ALL juniors take in the spring. It is a quarter-credit, required course that meets once a week that helps you plan for your internship. In addition to learning more about the senior experience, a wide variety of professionals from many different agencies will give brief presentations about the internship opportunities at their agency for those that are interested in field internships.

What if I am abroad during the spring my junior year? How do I find a field internship?

For students who are abroad during the spring of their junior year, the Psyc 300 requirement will be waived, but they will be responsible for finding their own internship. Contact Professor Hermann (ahermann@willamette.edu) for a list of agencies you can contact. Of course, you can also follow the guidelines to set up your own internship. We highly recommend that you set up something before your go abroad or that you return early enough to set something up before the fall term starts.

Can students arrange their own field internships?

In some instances, students may elect to arrange field internship opportunities on their own. This is acceptable as long as the following criteria are met:

The work you will be doing is predominantly psychological in nature. That is, merely working at a psychology-related agency is not enough; you must be actively engaged in psychological work.
There is a person willing to supervise you who is qualified to do so (has an advanced degree in psychology or a related field). Please note: it is not acceptable for your supervisor to be either a relative or friend of the family. Your supervisor must be in a position to objectively evaluate your work as an intern.
You must submit to Professor Tony Hermann a brief 1-2 page proposal for your field internship that explains the nature of your field internship (e.g., with whom, what will you be doing) and your goals and how your field internship meets the above requirements.
You must complete both the field internship application form and senior experience goals sheet PRIOR to beginning your field internship. If your supervisor is not local (e.g., you plan to do a summer field internship in your hometown), you will need to mail or fax a copy of these forms to your supervisor and have him/her return them to you by the end of the semester. Please note: you cannot begin a field internship for credit until both these forms are in and approved.

Can students get paid for their field internship?

Some students have wondered whether it is acceptable to get paid for a field internship. The answer to this question is "YES!". If you are fortunate enough to find a field internship which will pay you, that is good. However, the majority of field internships are nonpaid, and we suggest that the most important thing is that you are getting a good experience rather than whether you are getting paid.

Should I plan to complete a field internship or research internship? Can I do both?

The decision about whether to complete a field internship or research internship depends on where you see yourself after you graduate Willamette. For those contemplating pursuing a service career in psychology or a related field and do not envision attending graduate school (at least not immediately), a field internship may be best for you. Often, working in an area gives you insight into what to expect in your chosen field and also provides you with some good experience for obtaining a job. If you have plans to go to graduate school of any type (especially, at the Ph.D. level), a research internship is probably best. This is true even if you are planning to apply for Ph.D. programs in Clinical Psychology.

Many students figure out a way to do get both research and practical experience from their internship. The most common way is to land a field internship that offers you research experience. Sometimes, the research can be from archival data that the agency already has. Other times, an intern can conduct or take part in new or ongoing research. Often, in these circumstances, a student's scholarly paper is a journal-style paper about the research that they did during their internship.

What paperwork do I need to complete prior to beginning a field internship?

Prior to beginning your field internship, you need to complete both the WU Internship Application and the Senior Experience Goals Sheet (see previous webpage for forms) and have them signed by your off-campus internship supervisor. The Goals Sheet is designed to be an opportunity for you to sit down with your supervisor to discuss specific goals you have for your experience. After these are completed, turn them into Professor Tony Hermann.

What paperwork do I need to complete prior to beginning a research internship/project?

Setting up a research internship/project (commonly called a "thesis"), you need to find a faculty member who is willing to advise your work and with whom you can develop a workable project that can be conducted in the fall. Once you have found an advisor who is willing to work with you and you have developed a plan, complete the Research Internship Proposal Form (see previous webpage for form) and turn it in to Professor Tony Hermann.

I need to fax my forms to the Psychology department. Who do I fax them to?

You can fax both the WU Internship Application and the Senior Experience Goals Sheet forms to Professor Tony Hermann in the Psychology Department at 503-370-6512. Please email him to let them know they have been faxed.