Psychology Internship Programme
The Ministry of Education Psychology Internship Programme provides an opportunity for postgraduate students to develop the skills needed to make a real difference in the lives of ākonga, whānau, and communities across Aotearoa. This programme supports the next generation of psychologists by offering hands-on experience in educational settings, underpinned by cultural responsiveness, collaboration, and evidence-based practice.
A psychology internship offers fixed-term employment for the duration of your university programme. It includes a salary based on the current Field Staff Collective Agreement, holiday pay and additional employee benefits.
Under the guidance of experienced psychologists, interns will have the opportunity to access a rich variety of professional experiences necessary to meet their course requirements.
While we employ psychologists with diverse training backgrounds, it is important to have a core workforce with a strong educational psychology grounding. To be eligible to apply for 2027 internships, you must be enrolled in one of the following Postgraduate Diploma programmes:
- Massey University's Postgraduate Diploma in Educational and Developmental Psychology
- Victoria University of Wellington's Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Psychology Practice
- University of Canterbury: Postgraduate Diploma in Child and Family Psychology
- University of Waikato: Postgraduate Diploma in the Practice of Psychology
For more information about the postgraduate courses, please contact the universities.
Recruitment process for 2026-2027
Internship positions for 2027 will be advertised on the Ministry Careers website in October 2026, following confirmation of provisional acceptances by the universities, from Monday 12th October to midnight Sunday 18th October 2026.
Supporting your growth
We understand the importance of the internship year for your professional growth and development. To support you, we encourage all applicants to explore He Pikorua, our practice framework. He Pikorua guides the work of Learning Support practitioners and Resource Teachers Learning and Behaviour (RTLB). Grounded in core principles, the framework fosters meaningful relationships with educators, whānau, and mokopuna. For more details, visit He Pikorua.
