Psychology internships and field experiences vary by education level. Undergraduates commonly pursue research, observation, peer-support, or supervised non-clinical roles, while direct clinical work is usually limited to graduate or doctoral trainees under formal supervision. Opportunities range from unpaid or credit-bearing undergraduate experiences to paid doctoral internships with stipends and benefits. Eligibility, supervision, funding, and duration vary widely by program.
A psychology degree covers the fundamentals: general psychology, human growth and development, statistics, abnormal psychology, and ethics. Internships, practicums, research assistantships, and field placements can help students apply classroom learning in supervised research, community, educational, or clinical-adjacent settings. If you’re unsure how these terms differ, see the difference between an internship and a practicum before choosing a track. Some programs focus on research, others on clinical exposure, and a few combine both. The five examples below illustrate different types of psychology-related training opportunities, but they are not interchangeable and serve different student levels.
Five Psychology Internship Programs to Know
APA Summer Undergraduate Psychology Experience in Research (SUPER) Fellowship
APA’s SUPER Fellowship supports undergraduate students leading a summer psychological science research project under faculty supervision. Projects are typically supervised by a faculty mentor with the resources to support the proposed research. The research setting depends on the student’s approved project and mentor. Fellows are expected to engage meaningfully in supervised research, but the exact responsibilities depend on the approved project, mentor, lab resources, and institutional requirements. Funding terms vary by cycle. Applicants should confirm the current award amount, allowable expenses, and whether the fellowship covers travel, housing, supplies, or stipend support, as well as current eligibility and application deadlines, directly with APA.
Summer Research Training Programs in Neuroscience
NIH, NINDS, and other federally supported programs may offer summer research opportunities in neuroscience or biomedical science for eligible students, including, in some cases, psychology majors. Applicants should verify each program’s eligibility, location, citizenship/residency rules, stipend, and research focus. Participants may build skills in research methods, lab or data techniques, responsible conduct of research, and scientific communication, depending on the specific program. Some programs include a final poster, presentation, or research symposium. Confirm current requirements with the specific program. These programs aren’t exclusive to psychology majors, since neuroscience research spans multiple fields, but they’re a strong option for students who want research experience with a biological focus.
Undergraduate Psychology-Related Experiences Through University Counseling Centers
Some universities offer undergraduate volunteer, peer-support, outreach, research, administrative, or practicum-style experiences connected to counseling or wellness offices, but availability and duties vary substantially. These experiences may provide exposure to mental health services, prevention programming, outreach, or administrative operations. Still, direct observation of therapy or client care may be limited by confidentiality and state law. These placements are often unpaid and structured as volunteer or practicum-style experiences rather than paid employment. Campus-based opportunities can provide psychology-adjacent experience, but students should verify whether the role is clinical, research-based, peer-support, administrative, or observational, and it’s worth asking the school’s psychology department or counseling center directly.
Children’s National Hospital Predoctoral Psychology Internship Program
Children’s National offers a full-time predoctoral psychology internship in child clinical and pediatric psychology for eligible doctoral students in psychology. Interns participate in supervised clinical training, rotations, didactics, assessment, consultation, and pediatric/child clinical experiences as described in the current program brochure. The program includes a stipend and standard benefits. Because internship funding, stipend amounts, and eligibility requirements change from year to year, applicants should confirm current terms directly with the program before applying. Children’s National currently requires applicants to be in an APA-accredited doctoral program in clinical, school, or counseling psychology and to have completed required coursework and defended the dissertation proposal by the application deadline.
VA Doctoral Psychology Internship Programs
The VA offers doctoral psychology internships, postdoctoral fellowships, and practicum training across many sites, with requirements and accreditation status varying by program. VA doctoral internship eligibility commonly requires U.S. citizenship and enrollment in an APA-, CPA-, or PCSAS-accredited doctoral program. Still, applicants must verify requirements with each VA site and the current brochure. VA sites generally expect substantial doctoral coursework and supervised practicum preparation. Required hours, competencies, and documentation vary by site. Specific eligibility requirements may include citizenship, doctoral program accreditation, Selective Service requirements where applicable, background checks, health screening, immunizations, and site-specific practicum preparation.
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Key Takeaways
- Funding varies widely — some undergraduate experiences are unpaid or credit-based, while many APA-accredited doctoral internships offer stipends and benefits. Always verify current funding directly.
- Eligibility depends heavily on program level — undergraduate research programs, campus-based field experiences, doctoral internships, and postdoctoral fellowships have very different requirements.
- Details change year to year, including deadlines, stipends, citizenship requirements, accreditation status, application systems, and eligibility rules. Recheck each official program page before applying.
- Research and clinical training opportunities serve different goals. Undergraduate research fellowships build scientific skills, while hospital and VA doctoral internships provide supervised clinical training for advanced doctoral students.
Prospective students can compare psychology programs by institutional accreditation, research opportunities, practicum access, internship support, clinical licensure disclosures, faculty mentorship, and graduate-school preparation.