15 Clinical Psychology Internships for Undergraduates

If you’re an undergraduate interested in clinical psychology, consider enrolling in an internship to see what the field looks like in practice. 

These clinical psychology internships let you move beyond classroom learning by observing or assisting with therapy, research, and patient support, depending on the placement. Some are research-focused, giving you experience in labs and data collection, while others are practice-oriented, letting you shadow therapists or help with outreach programs. 

For students thinking about graduate school or future careers in psychology, internships are especially useful. They strengthen your applications, give you significant experiences to talk about in interviews, and help you start building a network of mentors and peers.

To get you started, we’ve put together a list of 15 clinical psychology internships for undergraduates! If you’re searching for other prestigious internships, you can check out this set of blogs!

15 Clinical Psychology Internships for Undergraduates

1. Ladder University Internship Program

Location: Virtual

Cost: Financial aid is available

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive 

Dates: Multiple cohorts available throughout the year

Application Deadline: Varies by the cohort

Eligibility: College students interested in tech, non-profit, or related fields

For students looking for online undergraduate clinical psychology internships, Ladder Internships offers students two-month opportunities to partner with startup companies during the summer or school year. While students of all disciplines can find internships in their field, clinical psychology internships can be found through Ladder’s partnerships with healthtech mental health startups. 

Interns will design their experience alongside a company coach, ultimately creating a primary project that they’ll present to the company board at the end of the internship. The combination of independent research, startup exposure, and networking in a part-time and flexible setting.

2. National Institute of Mental Health Summer Internship Program

Location: Positions offered on multiple NIH campuses

Stipend: Monthly stipend of at least $3,010 for undergraduate students

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; varies by discipline 

Dates: At least 8 weeks between May and September

Application Deadline: March 1

Eligibility: Undergraduate, graduate, and professional students interested in research and healthcare careers; rising undergraduate freshmen are eligible

The NIH Summer Internship Program (SIP) at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) offers undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct full-time biomedical research over 8–10 weeks under the guidance of NIH investigators. In the clinical psychology track, you’ll join a small cohort working directly with a Principal Investigator on research related to brain function, behavior, and clinical services.

You’ll participate in structured professional development activities, including workshops on scientific careers, advising on graduate and professional school pathways, and networking events. A highlight of the program is the NIH Graduate & Professional School Fair, where you can meet representatives from leading Master’s and PhD programs across the country. 

3. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Lurie Center for Autism Summer Internship – Psychiatry & Psychology Focus 

Location: Massachusetts General Hospital, Lexington/Charlestown, MA

Cost/Stipend: Free + hourly wage/transferable academic credit available

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: June 2 – August 1

Application deadline: January 31

Eligibility: Rising college juniors and seniors (exceptional sophomores may be considered); applicants typically pursue majors in biology, neuroscience, psychology, pre-med, or related fields

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Lurie Center for Autism – Summer Undergraduate Research Internship is a nine-week, full-time clinical research program for undergraduates interested in autism spectrum disorder and related conditions. If you're focused on clinical psychology, you can pursue psychiatry- and psychology-centered research topics under the guidance of a Lurie Center faculty mentor. You will receive training in biology, neuroscience, and psychology fundamentals relevant to autism research. You’ll also build clinical research skills in study design, data analysis, patient recruitment, biosample processing, and regulatory protocols. 

4. Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Pediatrics Summer Internship – Clinical Behavioral Health Track

Location: Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY; some internships may follow a remote/hybrid work model

Stipend: Offered; housing and other expenses not covered

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Dates: June 2 – August 8 (10 weeks); 6-week internships within this timeline are also offered in some departments (including Behavioral Health)

Application deadline: January 5

Eligibility: Undergraduate, graduate, and high school juniors/seniors

Weill Cornell Medicine’s Behavioral Health Internship is a mentored clinical psychology research experience for undergraduate students held on the New York City campus. If you’re interested in pediatric psychology, you will be placed with faculty mentors specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), focusing on diagnostics, treatment, and therapy outcomes. You’ll gain hands-on experience by shadowing clinicians during patient sessions, assisting with case management, and contributing to behavioral health research.  Additional tracks in Advocacy & Health Policy, Brain Development, Pediatrics, Medical Education, and Quality Improvement are available and may be relevant for students pursuing psychology-related fields.

5. Boston College Cooperation Lab Summer Internship

Location: Boston College, Boston, MA

Cost/Stipend: $6,000 stipend (depends on competitive NSF REU grant funding)

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective

Dates: June 3 - August 9

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions, usually beginning in late winter or early spring

Eligibility: Rising sophomore, junior, and senior undergraduate students, particularly from underrepresented and/or minority groups

Boston College’s Cooperation Lab – REU Site: Developing Social Minds offers a full-time, 10-week summer research internship for undergraduates interested in clinical psychology, socio-cognitive development, and mental health in educational and social contexts. You’ll work closely with a faculty mentor to design and execute an independent research project aligned with the lab’s mission: understanding how cooperation develops in children across diverse cultural settings. Your responsibilities may include recruiting youth participants, running behavioral studies, interpreting statistical data, and contributing to ongoing research on topics like fairness, group bias, and perspective-taking. 

6. University of Maryland College of Behavioral and Social Science Summer Internships

Location: University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Cost/Stipend: $3,000 stipend plus funding for meals, travel to campus, housing, and activity expenses

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; admissions vary by academic department, but ~15 students are accepted each year

Dates: June 2 - July 25

Application Deadline: Early February

Eligibility: Current undergraduate sophomores and juniors planning to pursue a PhD in social sciences | Underrepresented groups and minoritized students are encouraged to apply in particular

University of Maryland – College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Summer Research Initiative (SRI) is an eight-week, full-time research internship for undergraduates from underrepresented backgrounds who plan to pursue a PhD in fields like clinical psychology, neuroscience, or cognitive science. You’ll be matched with a faculty mentor in your chosen discipline and complete an independent research project designed to build your academic and professional skills. You’ll also attend interdisciplinary workshops covering research methodologies, ethics, and social science applications. 

7. Undergraduate Summer Internship at Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health

Location: Virtual or Columbia University, New York, NY

Cost/Stipend: Unpaid

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; 15 interns

Dates: 8 weeks beginning in June

Application Deadline: Late December or early January

Eligibility: Rising undergraduate seniors interested in pursuing careers in mental health

The Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health offers a two-month summer internship for undergraduates who want to explore clinical psychology through a global lens. You’ll work closely with graduate students and faculty mentors on research projects that focus on mental health equity around the world. Along the way, you’ll build skills in data analysis, manuscript writing, and public speaking. Each day includes seminar sessions led by experts from psychiatry, anthropology, public health, and social work, giving you a broad and interdisciplinary view of global mental health challenges.

8. Active Minds Internships

Location: Remote

Stipend: $1,250/month

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 7 students accepted to most recent cohort

Dates: September - December (Fall), January - April (Spring), and June - August (Summer)

Application Deadline: July 9 (Fall), March 14 (Summer), and November 1 (Spring)

Eligibility: Current undergraduate students interested in mental health programming in educational settings

The Active Minds Internships give you the chance to work with a national nonprofit focused on student mental health. You’ll be placed in a department like Community Initiatives, Development, or Communications & Storytelling, depending on your interests. Your work might include helping organize events like the Mental Health Advocacy Institute, supporting youth leadership sessions, or mentoring student leaders from campus chapters. You’ll also get to connect with professionals through coffee chats and receive mentorship throughout the internship.

9. Undergraduate Internships at Massachusetts General Hospital Health Promotion and Resiliency Intervention Research Center - Clinical Psychology Focus

Location: Massachusetts General Hospital HPRIR Center, Boston, MA

Cost/Stipend: Free and unpaid

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective

Dates: 12-15 hours/week for two consecutive semesters/seasons (fall/spring/summer)

Application Deadline: Applications accepted throughout the year; contact the internship coordinator for details based on preferred seasons

Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students in Boston with an interest and background in at least one research focus area

The Undergraduate Internships at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Health Promotion and Resiliency Intervention Research (HPRIR) Center give you hands-on experience in clinical psychology and public health research. If you're a Boston-area undergraduate, you can apply to work directly with faculty investigators on projects focused on mental health, cancer survivorship, smoking cessation, and mind-body interventions.

You’ll start by learning how to conduct literature reviews, build and manage research databases, and use tools like NVivo and REDCap for qualitative coding and data analysis. Then you’ll dive into your own research; past clinical psychology interns have explored topics like psychoeducation, community mental health care, and interventions for youth affected by trauma.

10. Rice University - Translating Research in the Psychological Sciences to the Real World Fellowship 

Location: Rice University, Houston, Texas

Stipend: $4,800 plus funded housing, travel, and meal stipend

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; 8 students

Dates: 8 weeks over the summer

Application Deadline: Early January

Eligibility: Current undergraduates in psychology or related fields planning to pursue graduate-level study 

Rice University’s Translating Research in the Psychological Sciences to the Real World Fellowship is an eight-week summer research program designed for undergraduates who want to apply psychology to real-world challenges. If you're aiming for a career in clinical psychology research, this is a strong fit. You’ll be matched with a faculty mentor and work on a project that reflects your interests. Past topics have included emotional regulation in Alzheimer’s, language loss after brain injury, and tools to measure socio-emotional learning. Examples of past projects can be found here.

11. University of Wisconsin - Madison Psychology Research Experience Program (PREP) – Clinical Psychology Track  

Location: University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI

Stipend: $6,000 plus $2,100 for meals and paid housing, and travel

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; small cohort

Dates: May 27 - August 1

Application Deadline: February 15

Eligibility: Rising junior and senior undergraduates with an interest in graduate-level study of psychology or a related field  | Underrepresented students prioritized

University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Psychology Research Experience Program (PREP) is a full-time, 10-week summer internship that blends psychology with data science. You’ll work one-on-one with a faculty mentor on a research project in areas like Cognition & Cognitive Neuroscience or Social and Personality Psychology, depending on your interests. To build your technical skills, you’ll join bootcamp sessions on R and Python, learn how to manage and analyze data, and get hands-on experience with psychological research tools. 

12. University of Missouri Scientific Study of Interpersonal Relationships Across the Lifespan

Location: University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

Cost/Stipend: $5,400 stipend plus paid room, board, travel, and travel funds for conference attendance after the program

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 8 students

Dates: 9 weeks during the summer

Application Deadline: February 16

Eligibility: Rising sophomore, junior, or senior undergraduates studying behavioral or social science | Underrepresented students and/or students with limited prior access to research opportunities prioritized

University of Missouri – Scientific Study of Interpersonal Relationships Across the Lifespan is a 9-week summer research internship for undergraduates interested in clinical psychology, developmental science, and close relationships. You’ll work one-on-one with a faculty mentor from Psychological Sciences, Human Development & Family Sciences, or Communication to design and carry out a research project focused on relationships like parent-child, sibling, friendship, or romantic partnerships. Weekly seminars help you explore the science behind these connections, and you’ll present your work at the end of the program in a professional setting.

13. University of Minnesota Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program (LSSURP) - Drug Addiction track 

Location: University of Minnesota

Stipend: $4,000 plus funding for travel, room, and board

Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~16% acceptance rate; about 60 students across both program areas

Dates: May 31 - August 9

Application Deadline: February 16

Eligibility: Undergraduate students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in life sciences| Underrepresented students prioritized

University of Minnesota’s Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program (LSSURP) offers a 10-week research internship for undergraduates, including a track focused on clinical psychology and drug addiction. You’ll start with foundational training in neuropsychology, addiction science, and clinical research methods before diving into a mentored research project with UM faculty. You’ll also attend seminars on ethics, data presentation, and academic writing, and get direct feedback on your grad school application materials from current graduate students and professors.

14. Undergraduate Research in Human Development & Family Sciences (OUR HDFS) Fellowship Program 

Location: Texas State University School of Family and Consumer Sciences, San Marcos, TX

Stipend: $5,625 plus travel expenses and meals

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; 12 students

Dates: October 1 - May 15 | 300 hours total; details determined with mentor

Application Deadline: August 31

Eligibility: Undergraduate students with a minimum GPA of 3.0 | Applicants should be studying human development, psychology, sociology, or related fields able to commute to campus throughout the year

The Undergraduate Research in Human Development & Family Sciences (OUR HDFS) Fellowship Program at Texas State University is a great fit if you're interested in clinical psychology and how social relationships shape mental health. You’ll spend 25 weeks working on a research project under the guidance of both a faculty mentor and a graduate student, giving you support from someone experienced and someone closer to your academic journey. Your research might explore how family dynamics influence mental health, how peer relationships affect academic success, or how cultural factors shape emotional well-being.

15. UNC Karen M. Gil Internship Program in Psychology and Neuroscience 

Location: Multiple sites in the North Carolina Research Triangle

Stipend: Monthly stipend payment for participation

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; 10-13 students accepted each semester

Dates: Internships are held both in the Fall and Spring semesters

Application Deadline: October 24

Eligibility: Current juniors and seniors at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Psychology or Neuroscience; Applicants should have at least a 3.4 GPA and meet stipulated coursework prerequisites 

UNC-Chapel Hill’s Karen M. Gil Internship Program in Psychology and Neuroscience gives you the chance to gain real-world experience while earning academic credit and a stipend. You’ll spend about 10 hours a week interning at a site in the Research Triangle, with nearly 40 clinical psychology placements available. These range from research-focused roles like studying eating disorders at Carolina House to direct patient support at places like the Triangle Area Psychology Clinic. Alongside your internship, you’ll enroll in a graded course (PSYC/NSCI 493) that counts for three credit hours toward your major. 

One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we received over 4,000 student applications for 500 program spots. You can find the application form here.

Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper. 

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