Read all 6 steps carefully. Step 3 may occur before Step 2 based on registration and meeting dates.

Psychology students - Read the descriptions written by the psychology field placement professors before choosing which application to submit (application determines the course number / professor).

Please note that students must have reliable transportation in order to intern.

The purpose of the meeting is to apply to a specific site choosen by the student. Prior to the meeting, look through the list of placement sites (eligible students receive an email with a list of current sites). You are not limited to the sites emailed, but it's a starting place to begin your search. 

Think through your interests and goals for internship (career goals). When you meet with the internship coordinator, be prepared to share 3 specific sites you want to consider. The internship coordinator will answer your questions and review the process you'll need to follow to apply at your chosen site.

You must meet with the coordinator even if you've already been offered a placement at a site. Please note you cannot begin your fieldwork hours until the semester begins unless this is approved by your professor. 

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 availability (times when you are not taking classes or working at another job) for the upcoming semester. 

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. 

Course registration is required in order to complete an academic internship. Register as soon as registration opens (a POI is required for GERO students). Registration may occur BEFORE your scheduled internship meeting. You must complete all steps in a timely manner in order to remain in the course. 

Note that some of the courses require in-person meetings. If your class is meeting in person or synchronous online, you will find the class meeting times in Course Registration. 

Step 4a - 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.

Please note that sites have different methods of preferred contact. If the internship coordinator introduces you by email, you can use this script to reply:

“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 (# - see course info box in step 1) 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 __________________ (be specific). I look forward to hearing from you."

Please do not contact sites until you are introduced to our contact person.

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.

 

Step 4b - Communication and Progress Updates

If you do not hear from someone at the site one week after you've initiated contact, follow up with a phone call to the site using the number provided to you by the internship coordinator.

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. Please do not send multiple emails or schedule a second Zoom meeting as this causes delays. 

 Step 4c - Interviewing

Click here for 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, carefully consider the hours, location and job duties.

Once you have accepted an internship, it is essential that we have an internship agreement. Check with Elyse to see if you are working with an unaffiliated site or a site that needs a renewed agreement. If so, send the information below to this  elyse.matthews@stockton.edu 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. 

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. Transportation is your responsibility.
   
   
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.