Careers in Psychology – Psychology

"The career opportunities for students with a psychology degree are endless, which means there’s a lot to learn about what opportunities you have. Start researching and talking to people now. There are so many jobs out there that a psychology degree will help qualify you for. Set up informational interviews or find a company or job you think look interesting. Look at the staff page and then find those people on LinkedIn to learn about their career history. This will give you great insight into what they did to get to the point they are now. Reach out to them and ask to set up a phone call to learn more. People are always happy to help!"

- sara morgan watters ’10, communications & leadership development consultant for evans consulting

Paid Internships

Johns Hopkins University Laboratory for Child Development’s Annual Summer Internship Program

Summer interns will receive close mentorship by faculty, post docs, and graduate students, and will learn all aspects of cognitive development research. Under the direction of Drs. Lisa Feigenson and Justin Halberda, the Lab is currently investigating a range of issues including memory development, numerical abilities, logical reasoning, and language acquisition, in populations including young infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and adults.

Summer stipends up to $1800 will be available to excellent applicants.

The number of interns vary based on the number of projects and mentors available. Typically, they take between 5-7 interns and receive 300 applications.

National Institute on Aging Summer Internship Program

The NIA Summer Internship Program, with over 25 years of history, offers unique opportunities for high school, college, graduate, and medical students, to develop skills in scientific research. In this program, based in Baltimore, Maryland, students receive hands-on research experience. Interns assist researchers in investigating factors related to aging, including the biology of aging, neuropsychology of aging, behavioral and social changes, and geriatrics. NIA summer internships last from eight to ten weeks, beginning in late May and ending in mid-to-late August. Students receive hands-on experience and attend weekly seminars presented by NIA scientists. At the conclusion of the summer program, students present their data developed from their research project at the NIA Summer Student Poster Day. Program participants receive a stipend which is based on the amount of education completed at the time the fellowship begins.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Summer Internship Program

This NIDA Summer Research Internship Program is designed to train individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social sciences research workforce, to conduct research and to prepare for careers in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social sciences such as individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the NSF to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis. Interns assist researchers in investigating the neurobiological mechanisms and behavioral and cognitive effects of drugs of abuse and of drugs that may be used in the treatment of addiction. Studies are conducted on animals and humans using a variety of techniques, including behavioral evaluations, neuroanatomical analyses, pharmacological and electrophysiological activation of brain circuits, and brain imaging.

Although this program is designed to enhance underrepresented populations in science, all racial/ethnic populations are eligible to apply. Interns will receive a salary in the amount of $15.00 per hour for a maximum of $4,800 for eight (8) weeks. *Some exceptions may apply for localities with a higher minimum wage.

American Psychological Association Summer Undergraduate Psychology Experience in Research (SUPER) Fellowships

The American Psychological Association will offer up to 25 fellowships to support college students with a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion to conduct summer research in a psychological science laboratory. The purpose of this fellowship program is to promote access and equity among psychology undergraduates considering research as a career by expanding opportunities to laboratory training and mentorship to those who have not had the opportunity to access research experiences.

Projects must be student-driven and supervised by a faculty member with sufficient resources to support the proposed work, although collaboration with postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and other research staff is encouraged. Participating faculty are expected to meet regularly with students to discuss research goals and progress and offer academic and career guidance. The applicant and mentor should work together to develop a research plan, and students are expected to spend at least nine weeks in the laboratory at a minimum of 20 hours/week.

APA will pay a stipend of $4,000 directly to the student and $1,000 directly to the student’s summer faculty host. Stipends are intended to defray personal expenses (e.g., housing, travel) and APA will not provide funds for study expenses, indirect costs or overhead. This stipend may be stacked with summer research funding from other sources. APA will issue IRS Form 1099 to recipients at the end of the year for tax purposes.

APA will pay students a summer salary, as well as cover all travel and living expenses. This should make the program financially feasible for most college students.

Children’s Summer Treatment Program (STP) at the Center for Children and Families at Florida International University

Summer positions are available for Counselors, Research Assistants, Teachers, and Classroom Aides. By participating in the STP, students will learn evidence-based techniques for working with children who have disruptive behavior disorders; gain valuable clinical and research experience to prepare for career and graduate school; help children to improve their social skills, sports skills, and academic skills; and network with faculty members at the Center for Children and Families, as well as students from across the country. Positions are available for undergraduate students, postbaccalaureate students, and graduate students.

Unpaid Internships

Child and Family Therapy (CFT) Clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute

Within the CFT Clinic, we provide outpatient therapy services to children ages 5-18 who present with externalizing and/or internalizing concerns (e.g., ADHD, anxiety) as well as families experiencing relational difficulties (e.g., parent-child conflict, separation). Our patient population consists of primarily typically developing children. As an undergraduate intern, you would have the opportunity to observe therapy sessions conducted with families, observe clinical supervision, assist with scoring psychological measures and manage office tasks. Please note that undergraduate interns will not have any direct contact with patients.

The internship is minimum of 10 hours/week and is open to junior or senior psychology majors in good academic standing (i.e., GPA of 3.0 or higher). The internship is particularly beneficial to students who what to pursue graduate school for clinical or counseling psychology. Fall, Spring and Summer internships available at locations in locations in Columbia, Odenton and Baltimore City.

Any interested student can email Brian Jobe ’03, director of the undergraduate program at the CFT Clinic at KKI, directly at jobe@kennedykrieger.org and should include a resume or CV. A letter of recommendation might be required. Transportation is also required, as a health screening is needed, which occurs in Baltimore at the Kennedy Krieger Institute Hospital.

Copper Ridge Institute

The Copper Ridge Institute (CRI), affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is at the forefront of scientific research related to the treatment and care of those with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Interns will have the opportunity to assist with two intervention studies examining how (if at all) physical exercise (walking or the gym) impacts individuals suffering with dementia. Interns will have the opportunity to participate in the intervention and data collection process. CRI is also conducting two validation studies; the first
on an internet based Dementia Risk Assessment, and the second on a novel assessment consisting of six computerized tests. Interns will learn how to administer various assessments and have the opportunity to assist in data collection. Depending on level of interest and prior experience interns may have the opportunity to assist with data analysis and literature reviews.

The Maryland Anxiety Center

The Maryland Anxiety Center offers an internship program to provide undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to develop specialized training on the nature and treatment of anxiety and related disorders from a cognitive behavioral perspective. Interns participate in weekly training sessions in which they learn from experts about cognitive behavioral therapy, the treatment of anxiety and OCD-related disorders, and get an inside view of what it is like to work as a therapist in private practice. As part of their training, interns receive psychoeducation about disorders, diagnostic measures, and treatment modalities. They also observe mock intake evaluations and mock therapy sessions. In addition, MAC interns assist with various projects such as researching, writing, developing presentations and creating clinical and administrative materials.

Five undergraduates are accepted per term (Fall, Spring, Summer)

Sheppard Pratt

Sheppard Pratt offers internships for college credit for college juniors and seniors with opportunities throughout both the fall and spring semesters for interns. Placements are available on inpatient units and in day hospitals on their Towson and Ellicott City campuses, and within their day schools throughout the state of Maryland.

(SAMHSA) Internship Program

The SAMHSA Internship Program introduces students to the important role SAMHSA plays in ensuring a productive life in the community for everyone. Interns gain practical experience through projects, special assignments, or research that support federal, state, and community-based programs, policies, and best practices in the prevention and treatment of substance misuse and mental illness.

Students selected as SAMHSA interns will use their specific skills and knowledge while experiencing the value of their education. For fifteen weeks (40 hours per week), at the SAMHSA headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, each intern will be able to work under the guidance of a SAMHSA manager in a SAMHSA department whose function closely matches their course of study and field of interest.

What Kind of fields can I work in with a degree in psychology

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