Field Experience

Field experience refers to psychology-related work experience, paid or volunteer, which provides the student with the opportunity to apply knowledge gained through course work and explore career options. All placements must be approved by the Field Experience instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange the placement and gain faculty approval in advance. An on-site supervisor with a background in psychology, counseling, social work, or some related area is required. The Field Experience instructor can provide suggestions for appropriate placements.

You may earn one credit for every 50 hours of field experience per semester (1 credit = average of 3 hours/week). Field Experience may be taken either on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis or for a letter grade, with a lifetime maximum of 6 credits for a letter grade. Grading will be based on satisfactory completion of the requirements described below.

This course will provide students with opportunities to:

1. Integrate academic and scientific knowledge with psychology-related work experience.
2. Observe and interact with professionals working in clinical or other applied settings.
3. Develop professional skills and clarify career goals.

1. Attend scheduled class meetings and participate in discussions with the other students and instructor about field experience activities.
2. Keep a daily log of your work experiences. Each entry should include the date, number of hours worked, and a brief description of your activities. The log can also include your subjective impressions of how things are going (e.g., reactions, concerns, difficulties, accomplishments).
3. On a regular basis (3 times throughout the semester), write a narrative reflecting on your recent work experiences. The content of each narrative will address the course objectives listed above (e.g., How does your academic knowledge relate to your experiences on the job? How have your career plans been affected by your work experiences?).
4. For each credit you earn, you must complete an additional activity from the following list:
   1. Read professional books or journal articles pertaining to some aspect of your work experience and write a summary of this information and how it can be applied.
   2. Spend a few hours “shadowing” your supervisor or a mental health professional at your worksite. Write a summary of what you observed and your reactions.
   3. Attend a professional talk or workshop, approved by the instructor. Examples include the UND School of Medicine’s Psychiatry Grand Rounds, the Psychology Department’s Colloquium series, the ND Psychological Association annual conference, Mental Health Association lectures and other professional presentations.
   4. Conduct a search of information on the internet that relates to your field experience. Write a summary of what you learned, and give addresses for at least 5 websites you visited.

5. Toward the end of the semester, complete a form evaluating your field experience placement. Your supervisor will complete a parallel version of the form evaluating your work performance.

Examples of Qualifying Experiences

1. Companion to chronically mentally ill or mentally retarded/developmentally disabled clients.
2. Employment at the local psychiatric hospital.
3. Hotline or crisis center volunteer.
4. Patient companion, assistant to counselor at hospice or on local hospital ward.
5. Work with an industrial psychologist in implementing programs in a workplace.
6. Assistant to school psychologist or other work with troubled or disabled children/adolescents.

Examples of Non-Qualifying Experiences

1. Day care center with no psychological/developmental emphasis.
2. Medical aide or nursing assistant at a general hospital.
3. Patient companion at a nursing home providing only custodial care.