School Psychology Internship Timeline
Overview
This timeline outlines the steps for districts/administrative units and graduate students to facilitate a smooth internship process. We acknowledge that some students may apply for open School Psychology positions on a district's website (if approved by their university) and will be following the district’s hiring timeline.
Overview: This guidance is for public school districts (LEAs and SEAs) offering School Psychology Internships in Michigan. This timeline is a guideline rather than a set of rules or requirements. It was intended to support interns in having a more peaceful application experience. These guidelines were developed by faculty at school psychology programs in Michigan (Central Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, Michigan State University, and University of Detroit Mercy) and were reviewed by the board of the Michigan Association of School Psychologists.
|
Time |
Districts/Administrative Units |
Graduate Students |
|
December |
Complete School Psychology Internships form with available internships by January 1. Earlier internship posts give applicants more time to consider a district. Review NASP School Psychology Internship guidance linked below. |
Monitor internships available on the School Psychology Internships. Review NASP School Psychology Internship guidance linked below. |
|
January |
Have applications due during this month. Districts select their own due date and application procedures and requirements. Review applications. |
Complete applications to districts following the requirements noted for each district on the School Psychology Internships page. |
|
February |
Invite top candidates for interviews during the month of February. Note: many students attend NASP and have limited availability during February. |
Interview for positions, and decide on which internship matches your needs and wants. Possibly create a ranking of internships. |
|
March |
Offer internships to best matched candidates. Internship offers can be made at (but no sooner than) 9:00 AM on Monday, March 2, 2026 (first business day on or after March 1) |
Be prepared to receive internship offers starting at 9:00 AM on Monday, March 2, 2026. Consider and accept or decline an internship within 72 hours of the offer. Do not hold more than one offer at a time. |
|
May |
Provide clear communication to selected interns regarding the start date, expectations, placement details, contract, HR procedures, onboarding, and next steps. Complete any university-specific affiliation agreements prior to August. |
Complete Preliminary School Psychologist application with your university and MDE in the summer before internship. Submit your application when your pre-internship coursework is complete and when you have at least 600 hours of school based experience. Complete any university-specific affiliation agreements prior to August. |
Source) Colorado Department of Education: School Psychology Internship Information
CO School Psychology Internship Timeline (Google Doc)
School Psychology Internship Form (Google Form)
Available Internship Matrix (Google Sheet)
Colorado School Psychology Internship Guidance Document (Google Doc.)
National Association of School Psychologists: School Psychology Internship Requirements
All the school psychology training programs in Michigan are approved or accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). NASP’s internship guidelines should be reviewed by school districts interested in offering internships. The internship guidelines can be found here:Best Practice Guidelines for School Psychology Internships
Also, each program has internship requirements, primarily surrounding NASP’s training standards. Those standards can be found here:2020 Standards PDF. Additional internship requirements will be found in each program’s internship syllabi and other internship related documents.