Internship Program Admissions

Program Tables updated: July 25, 2022

Internship Program Admissions

The Doctoral Psychology Internship in the Counseling Center is a full-time (40-42 hours per week), twelve-month position beginning August 1, 2023. Interns will need to document completion of at least 2,000 hours as a part of satisfactorily completing the internship program, at least one-fourth of which must be in direct service activities.

Does the program require that applicants have received a minimum number of hours of the following at time of application? If Yes, indicate how many:

  • Total Direct Contact Intervention Hours:     Y Amount: 450
  • Total Direct Contact Assessment Hours:     N Amount: NA

Describe any other required minimum criteria used to screen applicants:

Minimum Requirements:

  • enrollment in a doctoral program in counseling or clinical psychology
  • successful completion of comprehensive exam/task by application deadline (Friday, November 4, 2022)
  • a minimum number of 450 AAPI Intervention hours
  • experience, training or interest in working with college and university students and their presenting concerns
  • dissertation proposal approved by the start of internship
  • approval for internship by academic training director

Preferred Qualifications:

  • interest in and commitment to university counseling work and college student development
  • a collaborative spirit of warmth, acceptance, respect, and trust towards colleagues
  • interest in working within the internship program's developmental-practitioner model
  • a willingness and ability to explore one's sense of self, have the capacity to self-reflect, and use one's self-awareness effectively to further personal and professional growth
  • energy to flexibly manage the professional demands of a challenging caseload while maintaining positive and healthy perspectives and relationships
  • self-motivation, self-direction, and commitment to high professional ideals
  • an appreciation for and experience with working with students from traditionally underrepresented groups and issues pertinent to these populations
  • excellent oral and written communication skills
  • dedication to the exploration of diversity variables in professional and personal settings
Financial and Other Benefits for Upcoming Training Year

Annual Stipend/Salary for Full-time Interns: $39,213
Annual Stipend/Salary for Half-time Interns: NA


Program provides access to medical insurance for intern?     YES

If access to medical insurance is provided

  • Trainee contribution to cost required?                                YES
  • Coverage of family member(s) available?                          YES
  • Coverage of legally married partner available?                   YES
  • Coverage of domestic partner available?                            NO

Hours of Annual Paid Personal Time Off (PTO and/or Vacation): Twenty-two (22) days A&P Faculty leave

Hours of Annual Paid Sick Leave: Dependent on election of VSDP or peer coverage

In the event of medical conditions and/or family needs that require extended leave, does the program allow reasonable unpaid leave to interns/residents in excess of personal time off and sick leave? YES

You can find out more information about benefits here: AP Faculty Benefit leave.

Other Benefits (please describe):

  • Benefits package (health, retirement, life insurance, etc.). For a description of the benefits, please go to: JMU HR Benefits
  • An office equipped with a desk, computer, file cabinet, video and audio-taping equipment, Internet access, bookshelves, and optional decorative/practical materials such as pictures, clocks, lamps, plants, etc.
  • Ten (10) paid University holidays (JMU announces these holidays on an annual basis)
  • $600.00 in professional development funds (pending State Budget approval)
  • Access to university libraries and the University Recreation Center, and reduced rates at cultural and sporting events.

* Note. Programs are not required by the Commission on Accreditation to provide all benefits listed in this table.
** Program Note. The stipend and benefits are subject to change at the start of each internship year.

James Madison University completes a national background inquiry which includes a criminal felony and misdemeanor search, national sex offender registry database search, social security number validation and trace. Adverse information discovered in the background check will not automatically disqualify an individual from employment. Decisions concerning employment will be made on a case-by-case basis in conjunction with a review of the job description and requirements.

Initial Post-Internship Positions
Aggregated Tally for the Preceding 3 Cohorts (2018-2021)
2018-2021
Total # of interns who were in the 3 cohorts 6
Total # of interns who did not seek employment because they returned to their doctoral program/are completing doctoral degree 1
PD EP
Academic Teaching 0 0
Community mental health center 0  0 
Consortium  0   0 
University Counseling Center 1 1
Hospital/Medical Center  0   0 
Veterans Affairs Health Care System  0   0 
Psychiatric facility  0   0 
Correctional facility  0   0 
Health maintenance organization 0  0 
School district/system  0   0 
Independent practice setting 2  1
Other  0  0

Note: "PD" = Post-doctoral residency position; "EP" = Employed Position. Each individual represented in this table should be counted only one time. For former trainees working in more than one setting, select the setting that represents their primary position.

Total Completed Applications

2019-2020 - 37 applications

2020-2021 - 42 applications

2021-2022 - 56 applications

Instructions for Internship Application

The Counseling Center Doctoral Psychology Internship Program is participating in APPIC's Computer Matching Program. The NMS Match Code is 164911.

Applications reviewed will include the completed AAPI Online (Application for Psychology Internship) with the following elements attached:

  1. A curriculum vitae
  2. All graduate transcripts
  3. Cover letter describing experience and interest in providing the following services: individual and group counseling (include number of individual clients seen in therapy and names of groups you have co-facilitated), crisis intervention (during and after office hours), outreach programming (include names of outreach programs you have prepared/facilitated), consultation, brief therapy, intakes, and clinical work with diverse populations. In addition, the cover letter must include a paragraph stating why you are interested in our internship site and why you believe you are a good fit for our program.
  4. Three letters of reference, at least two of which are from individuals who have supervised your clinical work. Use of the Standardized Reference Form is required.
Selection Process

We will accept applications from interested candidates through the end of the day on November 4, 2022 and will offer remote and in-person interviews to select candidates by December 14, 2022. Brief phone interviews will be conducted to decide which applicants will be invited for an on-site interview. In-person and remote interviews will be conducted during the first or second week of January, 2023. All candidates who submit an application will be notified as to whether or not they will be invited for a remote or on-site interview.

This internship program abides by the APPIC Match Policies, which are published on APPIC's Web site: http://www.appic.org/

This internship site further agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant.

During the remote or on-site interview, applicants will be asked permission for their photograph to be taken. Given the large number of interview applicants, the photographs are very helpful in serving as a reminder of each applicant.

Back to Top