Practicum and Internship provides an opportunity for students to translate theory into effective clinical practice. Students will apply the skills, knowledge, and understanding they have acquired during their course of study, and counsel clients under close, direct supervision. Full time students are expected to enroll in Practicum and Internship during their last three semesters in the counseling program.
Practicum is a 140 hour requirement that includes a minimum of 40 direct client hours and a minimum of 100 of indirect hours. Students register for one, three-hour graduate course to complete this requirement, which translates to a 10 hour per week commitment at the placement site.
Internship is a 600 hour requirement that includes 240 direct client hours. Students typically take two, three-hour graduate courses to complete this requirement, which translates to a 20 hour per week commitment at the placement site. Students may elect to take a “Half Internship” option which spreads the 600 hour requirement over 3-4 semesters and reduces the weekly commitment to approximately 10 hours.
Students are expected to plan for their Practicum and Internship experience as they progress through the program. Core and elective courses are designed to provide information that will help students make choices regarding the types of settings in which they wish to work as counselors and the clientele with whom they wish to counsel. Students and advisors will collaborate with the Clinical Coordinator to select an appropriate field site. Practicum and Internship field placements are selected to facilitate, as much as possible, each student's career goals.