Internships and Volunteer Opportunities in Psychology

Why do an internship?

It is highly recommended that psychology majors complete one or more psychology internships and/or volunteer experiences. These opportunities will make you more marketable to graduate programs and the workforce as well as give you the opportunity to explore career paths, make professional connections, and strengthen skills related to your future goals.

In a survey of 302 employers, sponsored by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (2008), respondents were asked which methods of assessing student learning are most helpful in evaluating a job applicant’s potential to succeed in their company. Heading the list was a ‘supervised/evaluated internship/community-based project where students apply college learning in a real-world setting.’ 83% of the employers regarded this form of assessment as fairly or very effective. – Hettich & Landrum, Your Undergraduate Degree in Psychology, 2014

Two options

Psychology majors may complete a volunteer experience at any time on a non-credit basis or students may apply to complete an internship to receive course credit towards the major and graduation.

For-credit internships

Students interested in completing a for-credit psychology internship should begin by reading the step-by-step instructions. Once you have read the instructions, and secured an internship opportunity, you must complete and submit two forms. The first is to submit the Internship Request Form requesting to be enrolled in the “Internship in Psychology” (PSYC 41492) course. The second form must be completed by your internship supervisor; the Internship Supervisor Approval Form must be completed and signed by your internship supervisor. You must complete these steps and be enrolled in PSYC 41492 to submit the assignments (e.g., reflections, supervisor evaluations, etc.) required to successfully pass the class and earn course credit.

Note: if you are a student at a regional campus, contact an academic advisor at your campus for information regarding internships available to you.

Application deadlines for for-credit internships

Fall 2024 deadline is Friday, August 16, 2024
Spring 2025 deadline is Friday, January 10, 2025
Summer 2025 deadline is Friday, May 23, 2025

Need help finding somewhere to do an internship?

See the links below for lists of businesses and organizations that undergraduate psychology students at KSU have successfully completed internship and volunteer opportunities with. You may also book an appointment with Debra Penberthy, the undergraduate Academic Program Coordinator for Psychology(dpenbert@kent.edu) , or Ellen Kratky in Career Exploration and Development (ecountry@kent.edu)