You will find the application for specific internship and field placement courses by clicking on the picture labeled with the program name located below.

Note: Psychology students should read the descriptions written by each psychology field placement professor before choosing which application to submit.

Once you've completed the application, go to Step 2 and make the next available appointment with the internship coordinator. Please do not contact sites until after you have met with the internship coordinator. 

The purpose of the meeting is to get to know your interests, answer your questions, to help you learn about sites, and to review the process you'll need to follow to apply at each specific site. You must meet with the coordinator even if you've already been offered a placement. 

While we have developed several excellent sites that we may recommend to you, your options are not limited to the site suggestions we provide. Prior to contacting any site, discuss the process of contacting sites with the internship coordinator and get approval to apply if necessary. 

Schedule your appointment early as internships fill quickly.Meetings can be in person or through Zoom, but must be scheduled using the Calendly app: 

Schedule an Appointment

Come to the meeting prepared to discuss your interests and availability (times when you are not taking classes or working at another job) for the upcoming semester. It helps to search the internet for possible sites that may be of interest prior to the meeting. 

Please note that ONE missed meeting with the internship coordinator or ONE missed meeting/interview with an agency may result in disqualification from  internship/fieldwork.

Mark the date and time of your meeting in your calendar and arrive on time as meetings take the full 30 minutes. Use Calendly if you need to reschedule. 

Step 3a - Prepare for your First Contact with the Site

First impressions matter, and they begin the first time you make contact with an organization. Use a professional tone when communicating by email or phone.

Please note that sites have different methods of approved contact. If the internship coordinator provides you with the email of the site contact, you can use this script:

“Hi, my name is __________. I am a ___________ major/minor at Stockton University with a concentration in __________________. I am currently in my ______ year, and I am taking a field placement course which requires me to complete (#) hours of service between (semester dates), which works out to approximately (#) hours each week. My goal is to become a  _______________. I am interested in (name of agency) because __________________. Are you accepting academic interns for the (fall/spring/summer) semester?”

It is recommended that you clean up your social media presence before applying to any sites. Some sites require interns to accept a friend request so that they can use your online presence as a character reference. 

Have your resume and cover letter prepared to send upon request. See Stockton’s resume writing document below for assistance. You can find resume writing templates by scrolling to the bottom of the Career Education & Development Officewebpage.

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Step 3b - Communication and Progress Updates

If you do not hear from someone at the site two weeks after you've initiated contact, follow up with a phone call.

Once you are in contact with the site, it is best to use email so that you have a record of the conversations. 

You are responsible for sending updates to the internship coordinator every time you communicate with a site, schedule an interview, complete an interview, are offered a placement or are working on human resources (HR) paperwork. You can do that by emailing elyse.matthews@stockton.edu.

If you are told the site is no longer accepting interns, please email Elyse Matthews so the other students are not referred to the site.

Stay in contact with Elyse Matthews throughout the process until you have completed all of the associated paperwork and background checks for the site. If you do not receive confirmation from Elyse Matthews of your email within 1 week, please call 609-626-6139. 

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Step 3c - Interviewing

Review the Career Education & Development interview guidelines.

• Prepare by reading the agency's website to learn their mission and about their programming
• Dress for Success
• Listen Carefully
• Ask Questions - it is important to know what you will be doing during the internship so that you can make an informed decision
• Thank the interviewer in person and then follow up with a thank you note.

Before accepting an internship, make sure that your internship hours do not conflict with your school schedule or work hours. Some internship classes have meeting times. You can find the day/time listed in online registration portal.

Once you have accepted an internship, it is essential that we create an internship agreement. Email elyse.matthews@stockton.edu with the following information ASAP:

1. The legal name and address of the site
2. The name, department, email and phone number of your site supervisor
3. The name and title of the agency representative authorized to sign the agreement

No part of this information can be missing or incorrect. Students may not intern or complete an independent study at a site unless a current internship / affiliation agreement is in place. The internship / affiliation agreement process can take 2 weeks - 6 months depending on the agency. 

Human Resources (HR) paperwork - Many agencies require background checks, certification of health status/vaccination, TB Test, drug screening, etc. YOU MUST ask the site and follow their directions carefully. Complete this process as far in advance as possible so you aren’t delayed in starting your placement. In order to qualify for an internship, you must complete all background checks, pre-service training, and HR paperwork BEFORE the start of the semester you plan to intern. 

Course registration is required in order to complete an academic internship.

The internship coordinator, Elyse Matthews, will request Permission of Instructor (POI) for your class as soon as you email her the site's approval for internship if an affiliation agreement is in place. POIs are given electronically. 

Note that some of the courses require in-person meetings. If your class is meeting in person or synchronously online, you will find the class meeting schedule in the syllabus. Most classes that meet in person meet every other week or once/month. 

You must:

1. Clearly communicate your availability to intern with the internship / field placement site (these are the hours when you are NOT in school, at work or involved in a sport or activity). Make sure to account for commute time when sharing your availability.
   
   
2. Notify the site supervisor immediately if you availability changes due to drop/add, work or some other reason. Please be aware the site is under no obligation to amend your hours due to scheduling conflicts.
   
   
3. Cc Elyse Matthews on your correspondence with the site so that she can keep your internship file updated.

When you are on site or engaging in any communication with an organization, you are representing Stockton University. Professionalism is required. 

If at any time you do not complete your internship hours for 2 weeks or more or if you are experiencing any problems at your site or with your schedule, please notify Elyse Matthews.