EIU Department of Psychology

This is one of the most commonly asked questions! You are welcome to set up your own internship experience that matches your professional goals, location, and schedule. For example, many students complete an internship in the summer when they have returned home for summer break. When locating your own internship, there are several strategies that I recommend.

1. 1. Personal Connections. If you know of someone who works at an agency/business where you are interested in interning, that would probably be the best place to start! Using your personal connections is a great way to find out who you need to speak with about setting up an internship!
   2. Google it! Look for businesses or agencies in the area that may be a place you would want to be employed using online searches or Yellow Pages. Many businesses and agencies have website so you can look at the services they offer and the populations they work with. Websites often have information about employment, volunteering, or internship experiences. Use a wide variety of search terms when conducting online searches. For example, when I type in “Rockford, IL psychology internship” many of the hits were related to doctoral-level internships. However, when I search “Rockford, IL mental health services,” over 20 agencies that provide mental health services came up. Now I can go look at the websites of these agencies to see if any of them have current openings OR look for contact information.
   3. What do I do if there are no internships posted? Even if there is not an internship position posted, you can still inquire about the possibility. Be prepared to share the basic requirements of the internship (e.g., 135 hours, on-site supervisor) and your qualifications (i.e., you have taken an orientation class on ethics and professional behavior, classes that are related, your career goals). Many students have been successful in setting up an internship by contacting agencies on their own!
   4. Who do I contact? It is unlikely that you will find the name of a person with the title “Intern Coordinator;” however, you can look for departments or people with job titles such as, Human Resources, Employee Relations, or Volunteer Coordinator. If you cannot find contact information for these types of positions, you can always just call and ask the receptionist!
   5. What should I say? You should explain that you are a student at EIU looking to complete an undergraduate internship in psychology. To receive course credit for the internship, you need to complete 135 hours of work during the course of the semester, which is approximately 9 hours per week and need to have a contact person that will serve as your supervisor. Your specific role for the agency or business is dependent on what they allow interns to do, so there are not certain assignments or tasks that have to be completed at your internship site. If the agency is hesitant or has not had an intern before, you can always have them contact the Internship Coordinator. Sometimes we recommend that students describe the internship as a “structured volunteer experience” where they need to complete 9 hours of work per week.
   6. What if they say “No?” You should be prepared for an agency or business to decide not to have an intern. In some cases, their work is very confidential and they cannot have anyone other than their paid employees involved. Other times, they simply do not have enough work for an intern to come in 9 hours per week. If this happens, you simply find another possible internship site!!