Internships

Internships are one of the hallmarks of our Psychology and Child Development programs and are typically completed during senior year. We require two quarters of internship in which the student earns credit toward their major. Each quarter of internship, students spend 120 hours gaining learn-by-doing experiences working within a fieldwork site or faculty research lab. Students maintain weekly contact with a faculty supervisor, and provide written reflections in which they connect their experiences to research and theory in the fields of psychology and child development. Internships are a way to obtain experience in the field/doing research, build a resume, prepare for graduate school, and explore career options,.

Please read the department's weekly Tuesday Newsday for announcements related to internships.

Fieldwork Internships

Students gain experience working within local social service and governmental agencies, schools, businesses, and other organizations. Internships are typically done in a student's senior year (rarely, junior year) after they have taken PSY 323: Helping Relationships. For Child Development students, CD230 is an additional prerequisite.

Students will participate in a fieldwork internship placement orientation on the Fieldwork Internship Orientation Canvas site the quarter prior to enrolling in a fieldwork internship course (CD/PSY 453, CD/PSY 454).*  This orientation will become available in week 4 or 5 of the quarter for eligible students.  The orientation will introduce students to the current list of field internship sites and the process for securing field internship placements for the following quarter.

Please read the department's weekly Tuesday Newsday for announcements regarding internship orientation.

Research Internships

Qualified students interested in research experience may find opportunities to work within faculty research labs. These positions are limited.  Arranging a research internship is initiated by the student, usually by the end of Junior year. Interested students will need to talk to individual faculty members about availability of research assistant positions. A listing of current research projects can be found on the department website (Faculty Research Interests).

Research internships can count as one or both of the required internship experiences (CD/PSY 448 or CD/PSY 449). To enroll in a research internship, students must have completed Research Methods (PSY 329 or CD 329) and, possibly, Quantitative Research Methods (PSY 333) depending on the research internship supervisor.

 

*_{Orientations do not occur during Summer. Students secure placements for Fall quarter internships during the previous Spring quarter.}