Internships in Psychology

Students who are interested in completing a Psychology-related internship may either pursue an internship on their own or earn credit for completing a Psychology-related internship by enrolling in Psychology 405 – Internships in Psychology.

Students who wish to complete an internship on their own may consult the Internship Resources located within the Psychology Resource Office or the current internships listed on CareerLink which is available through their É«ÖÐÉ« single sign on.

Students who wish to earn course credit for completing an internship may apply for Psychology 405 – Internships in Psychology or CLA 492: Liberal Arts Internships. Further information about PSY 405 and the application process are provided below.

Why Should You Complete an Internship?

  • 81% of employers say they’d be more likely to hire someone who’d been through an internship or apprenticeship (AACU, 2025)
  • Nearly 70% of companies use skills-based hiring, meaning they look for real-world examples and problem-solving skills typically gained through internships or co-ops (NACE, 2026)
  • Students who complete an internship receive more job offers and receive higher starting salaries after graduation (NACE, 2026)
  • Internship experience is often the deciding factor between equally qualified candidates (NACE, 2026)
  • 67% of all college graduates complete at least one internship before they graduate (NACE, 2024)
  • 83% of students who completed an internship say the experience helped them decide if a particular career field is right for them (NACE, 2024)

What is the Internships in Psychology Class?

  • Psychology 405 - Internship in Psychology is designed to help students gain experience in the field while building professional development skills. This class provides:
  • 3 units for completing an internship that counts toward the Psychology major 400-level graduation requirement
  • Placement at a pre-selected internship or help finding your own internship. Both remote and in-person internships are available, and students are expected to complete approximately 6 hours per week at their internship.
  • In-class professional development activities during a 75-minute class that meets in-person once per week.
  • Credit/no credit grading with short weekly assignments but NO quizzes, exams, or research papers.

Who Can Take PSY 405?

As a 400-level class, students must meet the following prerequisites in order to apply for the course:

  • Psychology Major
  • Completed PSY 301 by the end of Fall 2026
  • Completed 4 upper division (300 or 400 level) Psychology courses by the end of Fall 2026
  • Have a 3.0 GPA both overall and in Psychology (as indicated on your transcript)

What Types of Internships Can I Complete?

Students complete internships in a wide variety of areas, including youth mentoring programs, school-based programs, mental health programs, crisis intervention programs, medical or criminal justice programs, and programs within human resources or business settings.

How do I Apply for PSY 405?

Admission to PSY 405 is by APPLICATION ONLY. Students who wish to be placed at any internship must complete the application by October 30. Students who wish to find their own internship must complete the application by December 15.

The application consists of the following steps:

1. Input your contact information and confirm prerequisites

2. Complete 3 short essay questions

3. Upload an unofficial transcript

4. Upload a current resume

5. Watch a video about the internship search process

6. Choose your preferred internship search process (find your own or be placed at a pre-selected internship site)

To begin your application, use this link:

 

How do I Find an Internship?

 

Students can choose between finding their own internship or being placed at a pre-selected internship site.

  • Pre-selected internship sites include a set of 15 internship sites who have agreed to reserve internship slots for students enrolled in PSY 405. Students who choose to be placed at a pre-selected internship site will follow this procedure:
    • Applicants will read over internship descriptions for a set of 15 pre-selected sites and rank order their site preferences within the application
    • Student applications will be reviewed for quality, and a subset of applications will be selected as finalists.
    • Finalists will be assigned to interview with 3 or more pre-selected internship sites.
    • Selected students will be assigned to complete an internship at a site that both the internship site and student deem to be a good fit.
    • Non-selected students may still search for their own internship and enroll in the class once they have found an internship.
  • Students who choose to find their own internship are free to search for any internship, as long as it meets the following criteria:
    • Related to their career goal.
    • Has a supervisor who commits to meeting with the student for at least 15 minutes every week, is willing to sign off on internship hours, and is willing to complete an end of semester evaluation of the intern.
    • At least 70% of the internship is devoted to professional development and skill building.
    • Is a new position or is in a new functional area (existing jobs do not count).
    • Student turns in a Placement Approval Form signed by both the student and site supervisor.
  • Students may use any of the following search tools to find their own internship:
    • Use the website to search for remote and in-person internships.
    • Check the CareerLink Job Board for both internship and job postings.
    • Check the Internship Binders in the Psychology Resource Center
    • Check the for a wide range of internships.
    • Use online services like to find internships

Where Can I Go for Additional Information?

 

For more information, watch the following video about the course, the application, and the internship search process: 

You may also attend the following office hours or set up an appointment with the following faculty if you have specific questions that were not answered in the text or video above:

Dr. Courtney Ahrens MW 12:30-1:30pm, PSY 319, courtney.ahrens@csulb.edu 

Prof. Linda Alexander MW 12:15-1:15 or M 7:30-8:30pm, PSY 313, linda.alexander@csulb.edu