APA internship selection criteria: Relative importance of academic and clinical preparation

• Published in: Professional psychology Vol. 11; no. 5; pp. 792 - 796
• Main Authors: Petzel, Thomas P, Berndt, David J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Psychological Association 01-10-1980
• Subjects: Clinical Psychology Graduate Training; Clinical Psychology Internship; College Academic Achievement; Human; Student Admission Criteria
• ISSN: 0033-0175; 2168-9423
• DOI: 10.1037/0735-7028.11.5.792

Surveyed American Psychological Association (APA)-approved internships to assess what criteria are important to internship selection committees and to determine how much clinical experience is desired to make an applicant competitive. The survey also assessed the number of courses and amount of hours of supervised experience in both diagnostics and treatment that internships look for in preferred applicants. A brief questionnaire was sent to 120 APA-approved internships, which resulted in a response rate of 75%, or 90 respondents. Results show that internship training centers emphasize clinical training experience and personal qualifications over traditional academic achievements. In addition, internships look for substantially more hours of supervised clinical experience than the amount the minimum APA-accreditation criteria require. (8 ref)