In this introductory class, we will explore the structure and expectations of PSY405 and discuss internship as a process of supervised professional learning, reflection, and development. Through the My Career Journey activity, you will reflect on experiences that have shaped your path so far, identify professional values and interests, and consider what you would like to explore or develop through your internship. This reflection will provide a starting point for your Brief Career Development Plan.

This presentation introduces a framework for understanding what constitutes a meaningful and developmentally appropriate internship for a BA Psychology student. Drawing on the APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major and the EuroPsy professional competence framework, it considers the relationship between undergraduate learning and professional psychological practice. Students explore appropriate forms of observation and guided participation, the limits of their current professional competence, the role of supervision, and criteria for evaluating potential internship placements. The presentation encourages students to approach internship selection as an intentional part of their professional and career development, rather than simply as a course requirement.

Your professional development does not consist only of your university studies or your internship. You may already be working, volunteering, developing particular skills, participating in projects, seeking professional opportunities, or building experience inside or outside psychology. In this assignment, step back and look at these activities together. Consider what you are currently investing your time and effort in, what these experiences contribute to your development, and how they relate to what matters to you professionally. You are not expected to have a fixed career plan. The purpose is to become more intentional about your professional development (What am I already doing? Why does it matter? What am I trying to explore or develop? And what particular role can the internship play within this broader picture?)

The Professional Portfolio - ASSIGNMENT - helps you to prepare for your internship placement as an intentional step in your professional development. During the first weeks of the course, we have discussed professional development in psychology, the role of internship experience, your existing resources and competencies, and ways of presenting yourself professionally to a potential placement organization. This assignment asks you to bring these elements together in relation to your own internship placement. The aim is not simply to produce a CV and a cover letter. Your portfolio should demonstrate that you have thought about why this particular placement is meaningful for you, what you hope to learn from it, and how it connects with your current studies and emerging professional direction in psychology. Plese submit your PP in Assignment section of MyLearning.

This session focuses on how to use internship and other professional experiences as active opportunities for learning and development. Students will reflect on how they want to use the final stage of their BA studies, identify individual learning and development priorities, and practise giving and receiving constructive peer feedback. The session introduces observation as a key professional learning skill, with particular attention to distinguishing observation, interpretation, and evaluation. Students will consider how observation, feedback, supervision, and reflection can help them better understand professional practice, learn about themselves, and make more informed decisions about their further academic and professional development.