Internships
Recently, an outside consultant wrote that Furman’s Psychology Department
“compares favorably with the best undergraduate liberal arts psychology
department in the country.” The psychology department is committed to
education in the liberal arts tradition. The philosophy of the department is
shaped by student needs, the view of psychology as a science, and aspirations
to excellence in teaching and research. We are also committed to the view that
significant research opportunities and meaningful career-related experiences
are vital parts of an outstanding undergraduate education. Each year, approximately
20 of our students participate in off-campus internships, both within the local
Greenville area and in other areas as far away as Pomona, California. To provide
students with worthwhile internship experiences, the department has developed
three distinct internship opportunities. These include the Furman Advantage
Summer Internship, the PSY 503 (credit-bearing) Internship, and part-time volunteer
placement. Each of these programs is described below.
Furman Advantage Summer Internships - In this
program, students seek summer arrangements with agencies that will
sponsor them for a 8-10-week, full-time summer placement. Involvement
in this program is competitive. For those students able to demonstrate
sincere commitment to pursuing an internship and who have demonstrated
solid academic skill, Furman offers a base stipend of $1,500 to help
with summer living expenses. Additional funding may be awarded for
students with demonstrated financial need or for internships in
international locations. A Furman Advantage committee made-up of
faculty from various departments and the program director evaluate
individual applications and provide fellowships to those students who
have demonstrated their ability to be representatives of Furman and
their respective departments and who have proposed a meaningful summer
experience.
This program has been tremendously successful, with an average of seven psychology
interns placed each summer over the past eight years. Many agencies in the Upstate
area and throughout the country have sponsored Furman Advantage Interns.
PSY 503 - Internship - In this placement, the student
intern earns either 2 or 4 academic credits for their participation in the internship.
To enroll in PSY 503, the student must complete an internship proposal, emphasizing
the specific objectives for the internship. The student must then determine
a placement, and in collaboration with an agency supervisor, delineate how those
objectives will be met. The intern must complete a minimum of 100 hours of on-site
activity for 4-credit internships and 50 hours of on-site activity for 2-credit
internships. The intern’s activities are coordinated by the student and
the on-site supervisor and approved by the Furman faculty sponsor. In addition
to working in various capacities on-site, the student completes a comprehensive
project and participates in a regular on-campus seminar that is coordinated
by the Furman faculty sponsor. The student’s project is one that is agreed
upon by the student and the on-site supervisor and approved by the Furman faculty
supervisor. It is expected that the project will be of significant value to
the sponsoring agency. The intern is also expected to make a presentation, based
on the project, to members of the seminar class, and to make an on-site presentation
to interested members of the hosting agency. The seminar presentation serves
as warm-up to the on-site presentation. This placement is graded on a PASS/FAIL
basis.
Part-Time Volunteer Placement - In these placements, the intern
receives no salary or credit, and the needs of the agency and the availability
of the intern determine the amount of involvement. Generally, students express
their interests, and we attempt to help them find a placement that best fits
their needs and desires. Once a placement has been arranged, the student typically
will work out a schedule with the placement site coordinator and work for a
determined period of time for that agency.
Consistently, these placements have been praised as beneficial for both the
student intern and the hosting agency. In fact, it is not uncommon for graduates
to mention their internship experience as having been one of the most significant
aspects of their Furman education. It is also not uncommon to hear praise for
the intern from the on-site supervisor. In fact, several agencies have sought
to employ the intern following completion of the internship obligations.
Arrangement of Placements - To help students determine an
appropriate placement, the department maintains a file of Host Agency Profiles.
These profiles are completed by the host agency and describe the activities
and experiences available through the internship and the requirements for the
placement. Upon finding a possible placement, the student will contact the Furman
faculty coordinator, who will then contact the placement site in order to determine
if a placement is feasible. If the agency is in a position to sponsor an intern,
the student will then phone the contact person at the prospective site in order
to schedule an interview. It is understood that during the interview, the prospective
agency is considering the qualifications of the intern and that the interns
are considering the extent to which they will be able to gain the experiences
and exposure they are looking for through that particular placement. There is
no obligation to pursue the internship if either party is reluctant.