Health Psychology and Behavioural Medicine

Internships

General

See also curriculum Art. 20.

An internship requires practical work experience (which can include teaching and research) of at least 300 hours under the supervision of psychologists with university degrees. The students must register for an internship in advance.

The basis for the recognition of the internship is a written internship report and confirmation of the internship from the advisor. This internship report should be about three pages long (Times, 12 pt.) and include a description of the institution, the activities during the internship, and a personal statement. The report should be submitted to Melanie Bamert.

The Institute’s management has the following guidelines for the recognition of internships:

  • No internship to be recognized in the master degree is allowed before the third year of bachelor degree.
  • The internship has to be registered in advance, and the department must check that it is thematically associated with the planned internship. If you're not entirely sure that your internship belongs to health psychology and behavioural medicine, contact Melanie Bamert.
  • At a later date, this internship will be recognized by any department of the Institute, because it is assumed that as long as you have become acquainted with genuine areas of psychological practice, the purpose of the internship is fulfilled.

Procedure

1. finding an internship:
Search for a suitable internship in which you can gain practical experience in the field of health psychology and behavioural medicine. As ever, Google is your best friend for the search. But listen too to your fellow students, explore our homepage (sometimes are published there), and visit psypra.ch. When choosing an internship, it is important that you meet the internship requirements.

2. preregistration of internship:
Fill out the form (link below) and mail it to Melanie Bamert or place it in the internships pigeonhole on the third floor of Fabrikstrasse 8.

3. examination of the internship:
Now your internship will be examined. If the internship requirements are fulfilled, you will receive a confirmation email. Now nothing more stands between you and your internship, and you can look forward to many an exciting experience.

4. after the internship:
After you have completed the internship, you hand in the signed preregistration, an internship report, and an internship confirmation or certificate from the institution at which you completed the internship. Send these documents to Melanie Bamert or place them in the internships pigeonhole on the third floor of Fabrikstrasse 8. The purpose of the internship report is that you briefly describe your internship location and activity and reflect on your experience. The report should be about three pages long.

5. recognition of the internship:
If the documents are complete, they will be checked and, if everything is in order, registered in the KSL. If this is the case, you will receive another confirmation email. The recognition of internships takes a maximum of three weeks.

FAQ

I forgot to register for the internship. What should I do?

  • It's not a big problem. Check again that you meet the internship requirements. If this is the case, fill in the preregistration, make a short note of it and send it together with the internship report and a confirmation or a certificate of your internship to Melanie Bamert or put the documents in the internships pigeonhole on the third floor of Fabrikstrasse 8.
  • If you aren’t sure you really meet the internship requirements and don’t want to write a report for nothing, then ask Melanie Bamert, and if necessary, arrange a meeting.

When is the deadline for submitting the internship report?

  • It is recommended that you submit the report immediately after the end of your internship because your memories of it are clearest then. The internship report gives you an opportunity to order your thoughts on the experience and perhaps draw conclusions for your professional career.
  • But if you are unable to write your report immediately after the end of your internship, the deadline is at least 6 weeks before your graduation ceremony.

What does the internship report contain?

  • The internship report should be approximately three pages long (Times, 12 pt) and contain the following sections:
  1. Description of the institution
  2. Description of your activity
  3. Your personal opinion and reflection
  • The internship report is not evaluated.

 

What requirements do I have to meet for my internship to be recognized?

  • The internship requires practical work experience (which can include teaching and research) of at least 300 hours under the supervision of psychologists with university degrees. Supervision by medical doctors, pedagogues, or sociologists is not possible. You must register for your internship in advance.
  • The basis for the recognition of the internship is a written internship report and an internship confirmation of the advisor. This internship report should be about three pages long (Times, 12 pt.) and contain a description of the institution, your activities during the internship, and a personal statement. The report should be sent to Melanie Bamert.

The study of psychology is my second education. Before that, I already worked in my old profession for several years and gained a great deal of practical experience. Do I still have to do an internship, or can I have part of my work recognized as an internship?

  • Basically, all psychology students must complete an internship because this is an important part of the university curriculum and your training as a psychologist. The recognition of practical activities is possible in exceptional cases, but it requires discussion with the person responsible for the recognition of internships. Write to Noemi Brog and arrange an appointment.

 

Can I complete the 300 hours of my internship through part-time work?

  • Yes, you can.

 

Can I aggregate the hours from different internships to reach the required 300 hours?

  • Yes, you can.

 

Is it possible to do the internship abroad?

  • Yes. The same requirements apply to internships whether in Switzerland or abroad.