Section A: Doctor of Psychology
D.P.R. 5 june 2001 n. 328 and D.L. 9 may 2003 n. 105 established section A and section B of the Register of Psychologists.
All registered to section A are regarded with the professional title of Doctor of Psychology.
Art. 1 of Law 56/89 provides a specific definition of the profession of psychologist. The profession of psychologist involves the use of cognitive and intervention tools for the prevention, diagnosis; and psychological abilitation-rehabilitation activities addressed to individual persons, groups, social organizations and communities. Furthermore, the profession entails the activity of experimentation, research and didactics in the field.
The exercise of psychotherapy is subject to a specific vocational training, to be carried out upon the attainment of a degree in psychology and the registration in Section A of the National Register of Psychologists, at the conclusion of a 4-year specialisation course. The aforementioned learning pathway will provide adequate training in psychotherapy, and is activated pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 162 of 10 March 1982, at university specialisation schools or institutes recognised for this purpose in accordance with the procedures set out in Article 3 of the aforementioned Presidential Decree.
HOW TO REGISTER
The candidates enrolled in the LM-51 (transitional system) may register to Section A only upon:
- the attainment of the Master's Degree in Psychology;
- the successful completion of a period of evaluation-practical internship for a total of 750 hours;
- the passing of an oral examination (formerly, the State Exam);
POST-GRADUATE PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP - SECTION A OF THE BOARD OF PSYCHOLOGISTS, TRANSITIONAL SYSTEM
The internship period is configured as a direct experience, to be carried out under the assistance of professional psychologists. The activities carried out during the internship period are aimed at improving and developing the acquisition of professional skills, as well as building a sense of belonging to the professional community. For said reasons, the internship period is a fundamental moment in the overall training of a future psychologist.
In particular, the internship period must make possible, or at least facilitate, the pursuit of the following objectives:
- The understanding of the connections between theory and professional practice and the integration of acquired knowledge (knowledge) and operationally professionalised knowledge (know-how);
- The selection, redefinition and reorganisation of knowledge and methodologies typical of the profession, in direct connection with the requests and problems normally addressed through professional actions;
- The progressive acquisition of a professional role in relation to the operational situation and the concrete work contexts, with the explicit support of competent professionals performing tutorial work;
- The analysis and guided reflection on the distinctive features and significant events of the professional work and the degree of adequacy, autonomy and effectiveness of the strategies adopted, for the purpose of acquiring progressively a professional identity;
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INTERNSHIP
In order to grant the minimum requirements, the internship must present the following features:
TIME DURATION OF THE INTERNSHIP
The internship has a total duration of 750 hours and consists of professionalising activities carried out at external bodies accredited on the official website of the Order of Psychologists of Lombardy and affiliated with our University. The internship has a weekly commitment of 15 to 30 hours. It is recommended to carry out the internship period in a time frame of 6 to 12 months.
START, SUSPENSION AND INTERRUPTION OF THE INTERNSHIP PERIOD
Although the decrees and Law No. 183/2021 do not establish a date for the start of the internship period, the OPL Joint Commission proposes that they start on 15 March and 15 October each year.
NB: please note that for the internship periods that will start on 15 October, the complete documentation must be sent to tirocinio.postlauream.psicologia@ecampus.it, no later than 1 September.
There is no longer an obligation of continuity for the entire 750 hours; however, a certain continuity of attendance is recommended, with either two periods of approximately 375 hours each or one period of 500 hours and one of 250 hours.
Furthermore, please note that the internship activity is not compatible with the implementation of the main work activity, civile service or learning pathway committing 30 hours or more per week.
INTERNSHIP LOCATION
The internship may be carried out at public or private health facilities, at external bodies in agreement with the University and accredited on the OPL internship platform.
The internship period may not be carried out in the university department.
The competent institutional tables suggest that: "it is not forbidden to carry out the internship period in a single hosting facility, and it is advisable to carry it out in no more than two hosting facilities".
Furthermore, even though the areas of psychology are no longer a discriminating factor, it is nonetheless advisable to take account of the various fields of psychology when planning the internship period.
With regards to the internship periods carried out abroad apply the same accreditation criteria as those used for the Italian hosting facilities.
TRAINING PROJECT
The Training Project is a real contract between the intern and the host company/institution. The Training Project contains the personal data of the intern, the data of the host institution/company, the location and period of implementation of the internship, the insurance details, and the names of the tutors. The Training Project indicates the objectives of the internship and the modalities required to meet the predetermined objectives (for example what skills the candidates wants to achieve with the internship and how to acquire them).
Once the organisation available to host the intern has been identified, the candidate must contact the Traineeship Office at the following address: tirocinio.postlauream.psicologia@uniecampus.it) in order to request the necessary forms for activation.
The project must be drawn up with the company tutor, and must be sent within a month from the start date of the internship at the following mail address: tirocinio.postlauream.psicologia@uniecampus.it, and must be countersigned by the university tutor.
A copy of the bank transfer for the contribution of €200,00 for secretarial services and insurance policies must be sent with the project.
TUTORS: FUNCTIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS
The tutor of the internship must be a Psychologist registered to Section A for at least three years and accredited to the OPL. It is the duty of the student to ensure that the aforementioned requirements are fulfilled.
The tutor is responsible for a number of tasks, including introducing the intern to the different contexts of the professional activity, verifying the intern's experience through constant monitoring, and finally evaluating the internship period, taking into account the results achieved.
Nel caso in cui il tutor debba interrompere l’incarico, anche solo temporaneamente, l’Ente dovrà sostituirlo con un collega che abbia i requisiti visti in precedenza. Nel caso in cui un altro psicologo non sia disponibile sarà necessario cambiare sede del tirocinio.
The tutor will have to maintain a professional relationship with the Institution, carrying out the activities with a specific qualification of psychologist for at least 15 hours per week.
It is recommended that the tutor does not supervise more than 3-5 interns at the same time.
For the purpose of the evaluation, the tutors will have fill out a transcript of records where they will pass judgement on the competencies acquired by the student.
The transcript of records is a formal attestation of the frequency to the internship period and an evaluation on the competencies developed by the intern.
Using a scale from 1 to 5, the Tutor will have to evaluate the level of professional competence of the intern in the following areas of psychology, which are typical and confidential acts of the psychology profession.
The intern must provide the following documentation in paper form:
- Training project, duly signed.
- Questionnaire redacted by the company tutor
- Questionnaire redacted by the intern
- Attendance register
- Certificate for the safety course
- Transcript of records for the internship
Said documents must be sent by registered mail to the Postgraduate Internship Office (Università eCampus, Via Isimbardi 10-22060-Novedrate (CO)).
CONTENTS AND OBJECTIVE OF THE INTERNSHIP ACTIVITY
The professional internship consists in a series of practical activities involving direct observation and the performance of activities aimed at developing the skills that are fundamental for the exercise of professional activity. In particular:
- assessment of a case;
- appropriate use of tools and psychological techniques to gather information in order to analize a case or its context;
- predisposition to an evidence-based professional intervention;
- assessment of a process and outcome of an intervention;
- elaboration of a report;
- establishment of appropriate relations with the patient/client/user/institution/organization;
- establishment of appropriate relations with the colleagues;
- understanding of the juridical/ethical/deontological profiles of the profession and possible conflicts;
ORAL QUALIFYING EXAM AND PRACTICAL EXAM (PPV)
The oral qualifying exam is aimed at the assessment of the ability of the candidate to reflect critically on the overall experience of the internship and the activities carried out.
There will be a single test covering all the activities carried out during the internship period.
The object of the test are the practical activities carried out for the purpose of acquiring the skills necessary for the access to the profession of psychologist.
The test provides for a maximum grade of 100 points and the candidate will attain the qualification with a score of at least 60/100.
The sessions of the State exams related to the years 2022,2023,2024,2025,2026 are announced by ministerial decree issued by the Ministry of University and research. After five years from the date of issuance of Law N. 163 of 8 November 2021, a candidate who has completed the internship in accordance with the regulations previously in force may request a university that is the seat of the Master's Degree Course in Psychology to take the test in the sessions envisaged for the conduct of the practical assessment test governed by the decree adopted pursuant to Article 3 of Law No. 163 of 2021.
In order to activate the internship, please follow the procedure illustrated in the file.