Internships

PREPARATION

  • Create/update a resume. Before you can even contact internship sites, you should have a resume ready. It is highly recommended that you drop by resume review at Career Services. They have a variety of resume writing resources on their website.
  • Career goals. An internship should provide an opportunity to develop skills and meet professionals relevant to your career goals. You may want to critically reflect on your prior experience (e.g., strengths, areas of growth) and career goals before jumping into an internship.

TIMING

  • Sophomore status. You can start an internship once you have completed at least 45 academic credits. Exceptions can be made by petitioning your academic dean. 
  • DDHS coursework. It is generally recommended that you complete at least one of the DDHS courses in the semester before or of your internship, but this expectation can be waived for students with a lot of prior experience. 
  • Any semester. Internships can be completed in winter, spring, summer or fall semesters. There are additional costs for registering internships for credit in winter and summer, but DDHS internships are not required to be registered for credit as long as they are pre-approved by the program director. 
  • Plan ahead. Internships should be confirmed the semester before (e.g., end of the fall semester for a spring internship). You may need to complete an interview, site visit, or HR paperwork in person so it’s best to arrange this while you’re still in the Amherst area. Internship advising is only available during the academic semesters.

SITES

  • Types of placements. Internships occur in a variety of settings, including residential programs, day programs, early intervention programs, family support programs, schools, clinical service providers, advocacy organizations, and more. Interns work directly with people with disabilities and/or their families. 
  • Pre-approved sites. It is recommended you begin your search by reading through the list of pre-approved sites.
  • New sites. If you are looking for a unique site or a site beyond Amherst, you may need to find your own site. Our internship site page includes recommendations for finding a new site. New sites need to be pre-approved by the program director.  

PROCESS

  • Select 2-3 sites of interest. Read through their descriptions, explore their websites, etc. Familiarize yourself with what they do, who they serve, the types of professionals you can work with, and what you can learn from them.
  • Contact your top site. Contact your top choice once you have made your schedule and have a clear understanding of your availability. You should write a professional email to the contact person listed on the DDHS site (or internship coordinator/human resources for a new site) with a little bit about yourself, your availability, and why you are interested in this internship. You should mention you’re in the DDHS program and attach your resume.
  • Following up. If you don’t hear back from your top choice after a week or so, feel free to write again (reply to your original email). If that doesn’t work, you should consider calling. If you’re stuck, reach out to the program director for assistance.
  • Interviews. Every site has their own expectations for screening and interviewing applicants. You should expect to do phone/Zoom interviews or in-person interviews. It is also common to schedule a time to shadow someone at the site or get a tour of the program. They will need to conduct a criminal background check on you, in addition to other intake paperwork (e.g., confidentiality agreements, etc.).
  • Registration. Once you have confirmed your internship and have a general sense of a) who will be supervising you and b) when you will be working, you should register your internship.
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