The internship takes place over a minimum of two 10-week quarters. Participation in each section of internship begins in Week 1 and is expected through the full duration of Week 10, regardless of the accumulation of hours or completion of other course requirements. Students must participate weekly at the internship site throughout the entire terms in which they are enrolled. Students may not plan to complete the internship in less than the two 10-week quarters, and they should not plan time off during the field experience for vacations or other professional or personal obligations. Students must earn 1 continuous hour of live, in-person or videoconference supervision each week and must obtain at least 1 indirect or direct hour each week of the quarter.

In addition to the requirements listed under the general field experience requirements, Walden meets current CACREP standards by requiring that students completing internship experiences do the following:

• After successful completion of practicum, complete 600 hours of supervised counseling internship in roles and settings with clients relevant to their specialty area.
• Complete at least 240 hours of direct service (see Program-Specific Internship Hourly Requirements).
• Complete at least 15 hours of group supervision from their faculty supervisor during each quarter of enrollment in internship
• Complete at least 10 hours of individual or triadic supervision from their Walden-approved site supervisor during each quarter of enrollment in internship (at least 1 continuous hour of live, in-person or videoconference individual or triadic supervision during each week of enrollment).
  • If a student has multiple sites, they must have at least 1 continuous hour of live, in-person or videoconference supervision by the Walden-approved site supervisor at each site where direct hours are accrued each week.

MS in Addiction Counseling

The MS in Addiction Counseling internship consists of 600 hours of field experience befitting the roles of a school counselor, including 240 hours of direct counseling. At least 10 of these direct hours must be accumulated in facilitation or co-facilitation of group counseling relevant to the program of study. At least 121 direct client contact hours must be devoted to individual addiction counseling. Students may engage in supervised couples and/or family counseling, as well as group counseling beyond the required 10 hours, as long as the requisite 121 of program-specific hours are met. Students must also earn a minimum of 30 hours of group supervision from their faculty supervisor (or 15 hours for each term of enrollment) and 20 hours of individual or triadic supervision from their Walden-approved site supervisor (or 10 hours for each term of enrollment).

MS in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling

The MS in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling internship consists of 600 hours of clinical field experience, including 240 hours of direct counseling. At least 10 of these direct hours must be accumulated in facilitation or co-facilitation of group counseling relevant to the program of study. At least 60 direct client contact hours must be devoted to (non-group) marriage, couples, and/or family counseling. Students may engage in supervised individual counseling, as well as group counseling beyond the required 10 hours, as long as the requisite 60 direct marriage, couples, and family counseling hours are met. Students must also earn a minimum of 30 hours of group supervision from their faculty supervisor (or 15 hours for each term of enrollment) and 20 hours of individual or triadic supervision from their Walden-approved site supervisor (or 10 hours for each term of enrollment).

MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

The MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling internship consists of 600 hours of clinical field experience, including 240 hours of direct counseling. At least 10 of these direct hours must be accumulated in facilitation or co-facilitation of group counseling relevant to the program of study. At least 121 direct client contact hours must be devoted to individual mental health counseling. Students may engage in supervised couples and/or family counseling, as well as in group counseling beyond the required 10 hours, as long as the requisite 121 direct individual mental health counseling hours are met. Students must also earn a minimum of 30 hours of group supervision from their faculty supervisor (or 15 hours for each term of enrollment) and 20 hours of individual or triadic supervision from their Walden-approved site supervisor (or 10 hours for each term of enrollment).

MS in School Counseling

The MS in School Counseling internship consists of 600 hours of clinical field experience, including 240 hours of direct face-to-face counseling, consultation, and classroom guidance. At least 10 of these direct hours must be accumulated in facilitation or co-facilitation of group counseling relevant to the program of study. Students may engage in additional supervised group counseling beyond the required 10 hours, but these hours cannot be the majority of client contact hours. Students must also earn a minimum of 30 hours of group supervision from their faculty supervisor (or 15 hours for each term of enrollment) and 20 hours of individual or triadic supervision from their Walden-approved site supervisor (or 10 hours for each term of enrollment). The school counseling field experience must be completed in a school (pre-K through 12).

MS Dual Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling

Students in the Dual Degree must complete a clinical mental health counseling internship, which adheres to the requirements listed under MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling above. Following the satisfactory completion of the clinical mental health counseling practicum and internship, Dual Degree students must complete a school counseling internship, which adheres to the requirements listed under MS in School Counseling above.

Successful completion of the internship includes passing both coursework and fieldwork requirements. The final grades are either Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U). A deficiency in any item listed below will result in a U grade for the course and require the student to repeat the field experience course before moving on in the program. Students who receive two U grades in internship will be academically dismissed from the university. To successfully complete internship, all requirements, including hourly requirements and final documents must be complete by the end of Week 10; if hourly requirements are not met, then the student will need to request an Incomplete (I) grade or an Internship Extension.

To complete each internship course satisfactorily, students must achieve ALL of the following:

1. Successful completion of all course work assignments with a cumulative score of 80% or above. All recording assignments must be completed satisfactorily.
2. Attendance and active participation in all faculty group supervision videoconferences (minimum of 15 hours for each quarter of field experience), as well as individual or triadic supervision each week of the quarter (minimum of 10 hours for each quarter of field experience).
3. Completion of Mid-Quarter Evaluation and site visit by Walden-approved site supervisor in Week 4, 5, 6, or 7.
4. Completion of the hourly requirements for the field experience by the end of Internship II (including total and program-specific requirements) as shown on Time Log approved by site and faculty supervisors (time log to be complete and approved each term).
5. Satisfactory End of Quarter Evaluation of Student at a minimum of an intermediate level (rating of 3 or above) and endorsement for progression provided by site supervisor.
6. No concerns or reservations regarding a student’s ability to continue with professional practice curriculum expressed by the course and/or group supervision faculty member; satisfactory evaluation at a minimum of an intermediate level (rating of 3 or above) and endorsement for progression provided by faculty supervisor(s).
7. No concerns expressed by the field experience coordinators or director upon review of the site supervisor and faculty information concerning the training experience.
8. Adherence to all SOC-OFE policies outlined in the Field Experience Manual, as well as site and university policies, the ACA Code of Ethics, and all state regulations for counseling professionals.