Clinical experiences are an essential component of the School Psychology program, linking rigorous academic study with practical, supervised training in educational and clinical settings.
Externships (Years 1–4)
Short-term, unpaid experiences where our students observe and learn from clinical psychologists in a variety of settings. Externships are paired with a seminar course designed to help students connect field experience with their coursework.
Examples of externship partners include:
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development
- Chapel Hill Pediatric Psychology
- Central Regional Psychiatric Hospital
- UNC Program for Childhood Trauma & Maltreatment
- Duke Neuropsychological Clinic
- UNC School of Medicine – Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
- Whitaker Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility
- TEACCH Autism Program
- NCDHHS – Children’s Services
- Duke Child Developmental and Behavioral Health Clinic
- Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
- Durham Public Schools
- Wake County School System
Internship (Years 4 or 5)
Full-time, organized training experience where students develop profession-wide competencies in health service psychology with a specialization in school psychology. Internships take place in schools or clinical settings under the supervision of a licensed psychologist mentor who provides ongoing guidance and feedback. Both Association for Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC)-approved and non-APPIC internship opportunities are available.
Examples of APPIC internship sites include:
- Riverbend Community Mental Health, Inc., Concord, NH
- Central Regional Hospital, Butner, NC
- Marcus Autism Center, Atlanta, GA
- Franciscan Children’s Behavioral Health Services, Brighton, MA
- University of North Carolina Department of Psychology Community Clinic, Chapel Hill, NC
- Whitaker Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility, Butner, NC
- Kennedy Krieger Institute Behavior Management Clinic, Baltimore, MD
- Intermountain Healthcare, Primary Children’s Hospital, Salt Lake City, UT
- Haymount Institute for Psychological Services, Fayetteville, NC
- Community Services Institute, Springfield, MA
- Westchester Jewish Community Services, White Plains, NY
- Terry Children’s Psychiatric Center, New Castle, DE
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, Chapel Hill, NC
- Kennedy Krieger Institute Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress, Baltimore, MD
- Kennedy Krieger Institute Child & Family Therapy Clinic, Baltimore, MD
- Astor Services for Children & Families, Rhinebeck, NY
- Southwest Behavioral and Health Services, Phoenix, AZ
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center St. Jude Pediatric, Memphis, TN
- UCLA – Semel Institute, Los Angeles, CA