Internships and Practica in Social Psychology Graduate Training Programs

Abstract

Many training issues face social psychology programs whose students desire internship and practicum experiences in nonacademic settings. Two programs are described whose faculties have devised very different solutions to such common problems as locating internships and supervising interns. Loyola University of Chicago and the University of Utah may represent opposite ends of a philosophical continuum running from "problem solving for the agency/employer" to "faculty-controlled research in applied settings." Each program's training strategies capitalize on available resources while meeting each faculty's goals for graduate training. The discussion of issues and strategies is directed at assisting others in developing program innovations for training applied social psychologists.