How to Apply
Criteria for Internship
To be considered for the CAPS Internship Program, applicants must fulfill the following criteria:
- Current enrollment in an APA-accredited (or CPA-accredited) doctoral program in counseling or clinical psychology.
- Successful completion of doctoral comprehensive or qualifying exams.
- Completion of a minimum of 350 intervention hours from practica by , and a minimum of 1,200 total practicum hours. Refer to the AAPI for what is included under "Intervention Experience." These hours may also include practicum training accrued during a terminal master’s program. On the other hand, although we value applicants' non-practicum clinical work in mental health services (e.g., jobs, volunteer work) as a helpful indicator of their overall experience in the field, hours of non-practicum services should not be counted towards this criterion.
- Approval by the academic training program verifying readiness for internship.
- Completion of all required coursework and practica prior to the starting date of the internship.
Favorable Considerations
- Beyond the criteria to be considered for internship, there are several pieces that give an application favorable consideration:
- CAPS, by dint of being a UCC, prepares interns to work with college students and in UCC settings in their later career. Applicants who describe an interest in working at UCCs or with college students in their future careers are likely a better fit in our program than otherwise.
- Applicants with a clearly-articulated description of how they view their graduate training preparing them to serve a particular population or presenting concern are particularly noted.
- Completion of the dissertation prior to the start of internship, or substantial progress towards completion, is taken into consideration for evaluating applicants.
Regarding Sports Psych
- While CAPS does maintain a post-doc within the embedded Sports Psych office, interns have very infrequent contact with athletes and little overlap with the Sports Psych office. While it’s not impossible for an intern to successfully apply for the Sports Psych post-doc, please do not assume that there the internship is a guarantee of being selected for that position.
Regarding AI
- Applicants are discouraged from using AI in the creation of their application materials, or in the interview itself. The purpose of the application is to show off the applicant’s individual personality and style, and our ability to see the individuality of the person applying is hampered when that person’s writing is filtered through AI. Furthermore, ability to use AI is not one of the Profession-Wide Competencies interns are assessed on, and use of AI runs the risk of interfering with an intern’s ability to develop their clinical and professional skills.
Application Materials
As with all APPIC internship programs, NU CAPS uses the AAPI Online Application portal; hard-copy, mailed-in applications will not be accepted.
Your application must include the following components:
- Completed APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI) form. The AAPI may be downloaded from the
- In a cover letter, please describe the qualifications and experiences that you believe align with the offerings of our site, including but not limited to your experience with intake assessment, crisis intervention, your interest in UCCs, and how you see your professional skills benefitting a particular community in your later career.
- A current curriculum vita.
- Official transcripts for all graduate work.
- Three letters of recommendation, at least two from clinical supervisors familiar with your more recent clinical work.
Deadline for Applications:
Applications must be submitted through AAPI Online by Friday November 6th, 2026 at 11:50p Central time.
Contacting the Internship Program:
To communicate directly with the Intern Selection Chair, call (847) 491-2151 (CAPS main phone number), e-mail Drew Zaitsoff directly at andrew.zaitsoff@northwestern.edu, or use the following mailing address:
Drew Zaitsoff
麻豆原创
CAPS, Searle Hall, 2nd Floor
633 Emerson Street
Evanston, IL 60208
Selection Procedures
All applications received are reviewed by the training director and at least two CAPS staff members, and are reviewed for alignment of applicants’ training goals and clinical experience with the CAPS internship program. CAPS’ selection process follows the Match Policies set by APPIC; applicants are also required to follow APPIC guidelines.
Applications will be reviewed beginning in the second week of November. Applicants will be notified by email whether or not they will be invited to interview by Friday, December 4th at the latest. All interviews will be held by Zoom, and consist of a required hour-long structured interview, as well as an optional Q&A session with a current intern, and an optional Open House with the Training Director. CAPS typically interviews thirty applicants, and interviews will be conducted in the weeks before and after 麻豆原创’s Winter Break. Instructions regarding what to expect in an interview are provided.
For candidates who match with CAPS for an internship position, please note that hiring is contingent upon a successful background check conducted through HR Talent Acquisition. Drug testing is not a requirement of the hiring process for CAPS Doctoral Interns. Effective January 1, 2020, the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act permits the use of marijuana in the State of Illinois by adults age 21 and older. However, 麻豆原创 policy prohibits faculty or staff from the use or possession of cannabis on campus under any circumstance, regardless of medicinal status.
***Please note that the National Register may be able to assist with relocation expenses for internship: .***