Internships & Community Engagement

Whether through paid work, internships, or community engagement, experience matters. Gaining hands-on experience is the best way to gain real-world skills, build a network of professional contacts, and test out careers that best suit you. Employers seek job candidates with experience. Internships and community engagement will help you build your resume and increase your chances of getting the career you want. 

Psychology Resources

Use the Psychology list of volunteer and internship sites to browse local organizations and find an engagement experience related to your interests and goals. Read the Psych Scoop newsletter to stay up-to-date on current position openings, and meet with psychology advising for additional assistance. 

The Psychology Engagement Award awards up to $500 each semester for students participating in an unpaid, hands-on engagement experience related to psychology. 

PSY 3896: Internship in Psychology

The Department of Psychology offers a 3 credit internship course to pair with your internship experience - the course is taught completely online. PSY 3896: Internships in Psychology course allows students to earn elective credit toward their psychology major.

The PSY 3896 course is currently offered in the Fall and Spring semesters only. The coursework is online and a syllabus is available for review. Students seeking a credit-bearing internship in the Summer might consider CLA 3896: Internship Reflection, which is offered by the College of Liberal Arts. The CLA 3896 course is not accepted in the Psychology Major or Minor. 

Mike Houlahan is the Fall 2024 instructor for PSY 3896. Please reach out with any questions at mhoulaha@umn.edu.

To register for PSY 3896:

  1. First, find and secure an Internship position using the List of PSY 3896 Ideas or some of the resources below. 
  2. Follow the Student Instructions for PSY 3896 Internship Site Agreement (completed on Handshake)
  3. Once approved, receive a Permission # to register for PSY 3896 credits from Instructor, Michael Houlahan

Note: Students are allowed to register for PSY 3896 through the end of Week 2 with instructor approval.

PSY 3896 is repeatable, however, the same internship site cannot be used in subsequent registrations.

Additional Resources

CLA Career Services may help you explore your interests, find internships, apply to positions, and more.

The Center for Community-Engaged Learning (CCEL) focuses on getting students involved in the local community:

  • Volunteer at a non-profit organization in the Twin Cities. Meet with a CCEL peer advisor to learn about opportunities that match your interests, values, and goals. 
  • Take service-learning classes, that allow you to incorporate community engagement into your coursework. Check out a full listing of service-learning courses (including two PSY classes) on the Center for Community-Engaged Learning website. 
  • Explore the Community Engagement Scholars Program, which allows you to gain distinction for integrating community engagement into your undergraduate education.