Psy 3011 and 3996 – Pre-professional Field Placement                     
Fall 2009                                                                           
Dr. Paula Pedersen                                                                                       
ppederse@d.umn.edu                                                                       

Welcome to one of the most exciting courses of your UMD Psychology degree!  I like to think of this course as somewhat of a capstone experience.  Here you get to “put it all together” – your coursework, your advisement, your previous experiences – and test it out in the real world of psychology and human service professions. You have a body of knowledge, theory and research upon which to apply and try on in your setting.

The fact that you are in this course means that you have done the necessary preparation work and we are confident that you have the knowledge and skills to take this next step.  It is an opportunity for you to observe the professionals working in the field and to gain your own experiences where appropriate. 

It is essential for student interns to be professional in every regard.  You need to establish regular hours, show up on time, be appropriately dressed, conduct correspondence in a professional manner and be an asset to your organization.  Students should avoid gossip, interpersonal alliances or other behaviors that do not contribute to organizational effectiveness.  You need to be entirely ethical, be a team player and work diligently to advance the total mission of your organization. 

The objectives of this course are:

1. To gain experience in a human service profession via a field placement site
2. To apply what you have learned in your psychology and UMD coursework to a human service setting.
3. To explore your future directions in the field of psychology and the human services.

Expectations and assignments: Preprofessional field placement is an A-F course.  Grading will be based on the following.

1. Complete intern information sheet and email to ppederse@d.umn.edu
2. Attend regular group supervision/class meetings –Wednesdays 2:00-2:50 in Library 409 - Class attendance is MANDATORY
3. Spend 3 hours per week for 15 weeks for each credit registered at your placement site, ie. 3 credits = 9 hours per week for a total of 135 hours.
4. Regular meetings with your site supervisor for ongoing feedback
5. Arrange for a mid-semester and an end of term site visit with you, your site supervisor, and Dr. Pedersen
6. Open lines of communication with your site supervisor and Dr. Pedersen
7. Regular reflective journaling (see handout) and available for sharing during group supervision
8. Log of hours and activity

[List the dates and times you were on site and what you did there.  For example – “September 22.  2-5 PM.  Went to a staff meeting, tutored a group of children, helped plan a parent group. Total hours =3.”   The log section can be a basic chronology of what you did and when you did it.]

As you complete your logs, please do not include confidential information or names.  If you refer to particular individual, please use pseudonyms.  You do not need to have the same number of hours each week, as long as you have the total required by the end of the semester.  It is natural to begin slowly and have more hours over time.

9. Final evaluation form from your site supervisor (see handout)
10. Final presentation (see criteria) to be presented to the pre-intetnship students if possible

Grading

50 points - Journal
75 points - Final Presentation
45 points - Class Attendance and Participation
40 points - Midterm and Final Review Meeting/Feedback

210 total points

NOTE: Individuals who have any type of disability which will require special circumstances in and/or outside of class, please bring this to the attention of the instructor as soon as possible so that arrangements and adaptations may be made.

"Successful education can only occur in an atmosphere of mutual respect, free from racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice and intolerance, and from their harmful effects. Educational excellence depends on the creation and maintenance of environments in which all members of the academic community can thrive, working up to their full potential" (Minnesota' Commitment to Educational Excellence developed by the President's Task Force: Strengthening Excellence through Diversity, June 1990.)

Statement on Student Academic Integrity Policy and Statement on Student Conduct Code, including classroom conduct http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/

Getting started