­­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 2026 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
• Postgraduate Diploma in Child and Family Psychology | University of Canterbury

For more information about the postgraduate courses, please contact the universities.

Recruitment process for 2025-2026

Internship positions for 2026 will be advertised on the Ministry Careers website, in September 2025, following confirmation of provisional acceptances by universities.

A limited number of internships will be available within a range of offices within our three takiwā:

• Te Mahau | Te Tai Raro (North) - Auckland and Te Tai Tokerau.
• Te Mahau | Te Tai Whenua (Central) - Waikato to Manawatu.
• Te Mahau | Te Tai Runga (South) - Wellington and South Island.

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.

This section will be updated as more information becomes available.