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Master of Arts in Applied Child & Adolescent Psychology: Prevention & Treatment

Internship & Capstone Project

The University of Washington Master of Arts in Applied Child & Adolescent Psychology: Prevention & Treatment degree program includes valuable hands-on experience through an extensive internship and a capstone project, allowing you to integrate your classroom knowledge with real-world practice.

Internship

therapist and child

In this supervised clinical experience, you’ll get a chance to apply your classroom learning to a mental health or community setting where children and adolescents with mental health concerns are being treated. You'll work under the guidance of a clinical supervisor, such as a psychologist, social worker, counselor or related professional.

Internship Goals

While the exact details of internships vary depending on the services offered at the internship site, each internship experience is designed to allow you to:

  • Gain real-world, hands-on experience in a mental health, community or educational setting
  • Strengthen your assessment, diagnostic and intervention competencies
  • Develop your professional interaction and communication skills
  • Benefit from the mentoring of experts in their area of practice

You'll also meet on campus with a faculty member to consult on cases and discuss issues related to clinical work in general. You’ll talk about topics such as professional resilience (e.g., mindfulness and stress management, self-care, secondary trauma), ethical issues related to working with children, and how to be successful in a team environment.

Internship Placement & Schedule

Internship sites include community mental health agencies, group practices, schools, nonprofit organizations and health care organizations. You'll share your interests and training goals with the associate director of clinical training and community engagement during the placement process. We'll make every effort to match you with your preferred site.

You'll work at a single internship site for the duration of the program. Most internship placements start in September and are 11 months long, although some last nine to 10 months. For 11-month placements, you’re expected to serve 16 hours a week. For nine- or 10-month placements, you’re expected to serve 20 to 22 hours a week. You'll arrange your specific weekly schedule with the internship site. 

Capstone Project

The capstone project allows you to integrate in-class learning with your internship experience. Through a final paper, you’ll examine your conceptual understanding, and application of evidence-based practices and treatment to a specific case during your internship.