Practicum and Internship for Master of Arts Counseling Programs
Practicum and Internship are two of the most important elements of Counseling students’ education and professional development. Students are supported in finding training sites that match their professional goals. Arcadia’s Counseling students have trained across a wide range of settings, including community agencies, hospitals, colleges, schools, and private practices. By completing both training experiences, students complete at least 700 total training hours.
Personal Counseling Requirement: The GPC firmly believes that counselors should have the experience of personal counseling. Accordingly, all students pursuing a MAC are expected to complete at least six sessions of personal counseling prior to starting Internship.
Practicum and Internship Maunal
Our Practicum and Internship Maunal offers a comprehensive overview and lists major objectives of the practicum and internship experience.
Practicum
Practicum (PY587) is typically taken during students’ first summer semester and consists of a minimum of 100 hours of applied experience designed to introduce students to clinical observation, interviewing assessment, and therapy. Placements vary, with some for beginning clinicians and others for students with more experience. PY587 includes off-site supervision, in which students will receive one hour of online group supervision per month from an Arcadia faculty member.
Internship
Internship (PY630 and PY631) must be taken during the final year of course work. All students enrolled in our MAC program must accumulate a minimum of 300 clock hours at their internship site during the fall and spring semesters, for a total of 600 clock hours, including at least 240 direct contact hours. While completing the Internship, students attend a weekly seminar led by an Arcadia faculty member. Seminar groups are kept relatively small (6 to 7 students) to provide students with individualized support.
