External +1 Internships (Alternative to MPPP)

+1 Internship Information

The INT600 unit in the MPPP program will cover in detail the requirements, regulations, forms and steps required to successfully start and complete your +1 Internship year as well as support you through the placement confirmation and application processes.

Information on planning the +1 internship for students who choose to exit Cairnmillar with the MPP only can be found on the PsyBA Website:.

The +1 Internship Placement Plan must be approved by the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) which is a part of AHPRA.

You will need an approved supervisor whom you will normally need to pay directly for your supervision sessions at a professional rate. If you exit the program then your personal supervisor will be the one providing you with advice and support during the Internship process. Internship supervisors must be registered as a supervisor with AHPRA and trained through AHPRA accredited supervisor training (e.g. Board Approved Supervisor Training or Board Approved Supervisor Master Class).

See also: AAPI Resources for Provisional Psychologists (public link) and APS Internship Information for APS Members (APS membership needed).

Cairnmillar is an accredited supervisor training provider but we do not currently recommend any specific external supervisor or supervision package as an alternative to the MPPP. We recommend that students do their due diligence and consider meeting with several potential supervisors to find a good fit. A list of  approved supervisors can be found on the PsyBA Website.

Cairnmillar does not currently offer Internship Supervision or Groups to students outside the MPPP program. Secondary supervision may be possible with a Clinical staff member as a client through the Cairnmillar Clinics, in unique situations. You cannot access an academic supervisor through this service and it is not comparable to the supervision or support provided through the MPPP. Contact Mandy Taylor via clinic@cairnmillar.org.au for more information about secondary supervision through a Cairnmillar Clinic.

Additional Support for Cairnmillar Grads

Students who require hands on support from Cairnmillar with developing an Internship Placement Plan application but do not intend to enrol in the full MPPP program can enrol in the INT600 unit as a single subject by special arrangement. Contact education@cairnmillar.edu.au for a confidential discussion if this is something you want to consider. Note: this will not include any access to the Cairnmillar Placement Database or support in finding a placement, only in planning and submitting the internship plan. You will need to have already made arrangements with an external supervisor.

As part of the +1 Internship students must sit the National Psychology Exam (NPE). The MPPP program includes a special support program for the NPE and NPE prep classes and resources. We do not currently allow external students to undertake the full support package, however Cairnmillar Graduates who are interested in attending some of the support workshops and accessing a practice exam may be able to do so through the NPE Prep Short Course should one be offered again. Please contact shortcourses@cairnmillar.edu.au to register your interest in an NPE Prep Short Course.

The MPPP program also includes extensive support and expert review of your Case Studies to ensure that they pass the AHPRA requirements and that they standalone as a genuine learning and development tool. MPPP students will also be supported to potentially publish from their research or case studies if this is an avenue they want to pursue. Cairnmillar does sometimes offer a short course on Case Study Writing for interns and supervisors which is based on the free workshops and group supervision for MPPP students but may also be open to a small number of paying participants through the Cairnmillar Short Course Centre.

If you want the full benefits of Cairnmillar support and expertise then the MPPP program is your best option. Information for students who are choosing to go on to the MPPP program can be found on myCMI:

Paid Options and/or Supported Internships

We understand that students would like paid internships and/or all inclusive internships.

Some of the internship placements in the MPPP are paid but not all — these options are normally competitive with the placement provider(s) having the final selection authority. The situation in Victoria is such that there are more people seeking internships than their are employers or placements for interns so paid internships are rare.

Students who have the option to be more flexible may have more luck. Your 300 hours of hands on placement will be an advantage as not all MPP programs include practical placements (some are observational only).

  • At the time of writing, options in NSW are much more likely to be paid internships. You will still need to pay for your own supervision in most of those situations however.
  • Some very rural internships and some internships in WA are more likely to be either ‘all inclusive’ (e.g. include board approved supervision in exchange for your internship work or even paid + supervision arrangements in some cases).

Students seeking such arrangements are encouraged to do so through your networks, job ad websites and the APS. Cairnmillar cannot assist you with these as any paid opportunities we obtain are reserved for our MPPP supported interns in the first instance.