Internship and Volunteer Opportunities

There are many opportunities to enhance your college career through internships, volunteer positions, or paid work. You have the primary responsibility in locating and following through with these opportunities. An internship is a required part of the psychology major at NCU. One major resource for internships is the Sunday StarTribune newspaper's employment sections. There are normally over 50 positions a week available in the field, most with no degree or training required (look under the headings of social services, mental health, counseling, psychology, and so on). More information of specific sites is kept in the Psychology Department and can be accessed through the department administrative assistant. Time is also spent in Career Seminar on internship steps.

There are many benefits to participating in an internship: you gain hands-on experience; you make valuable contacts within the field; it will increase your potential for graduate school acceptance; it helps you learn new skills; etc.

The student is encouraged to wait as late in their academic career as possible before completing the internship (many will complete it during the summer before their senior year or during their senior year). This way, the student can be better prepared for the internship by being exposed to the information by applying it to the internship site.

Feel free to set up an appointment with your academic advisor to discuss your internship interests, internship possibilities, internships requirements, and to receive the internship syllabus.

Internships recently completed

• Caring for developmentally disabled residents in a group home setting.
• Working with at-risk youth in a summer camp setting.
• Working with the Minneapolis homicide police unit.
• Phone counseling at Love Lines.
• Chemical dependency counseling volunteer/work.
• Assisting with the department as an internship in the field of education.
• Working in the mental health unit of a hospital.
• RA duty or doing special projects in the Student Development Department.
• Office work at a mental health agency.
• Adolescent shelter worker at the Salvation Army.
• Nursing assistant on an oncology unit.
• Case worker for Department of Social and Health Services.
• Assistant teacher in a preschool setting.
• Staff member at Teen Challenge.
• Childcare worker at Washburn Child Guidance Center.
• Orphanage worker in Costa Rica.
• Childcare worker at the Children's Home Society of Minnesota.
• Psychiatrist's assistant doing office work and research.
• Resident resource associate at a homeless shelter.