15 Mental Health Internships for Undergraduates

If you are an undergraduate student interested in pursuing a career in mental health, consider starting your journey with an internship! 

Mental health internships provide practical work experience in the field and allow you to develop industry-specific skills. As an intern, you will work and network with active mental health professionals and discover the various roles the field has to offer. Internships also boost your profile for future employment. These programs are accessible ways to explore your interests, with many internships offering stipends or academic credit, allowing you to benefit from your engagement.

To help with your internship search, we have compiled a list of 15 mental health internships for undergraduates. We have focused on factors like selectivity, rigor, and the host organization’s prestige. 

15 Mental Health Internships for Undergraduates

1. Ladder University Internships

Location: Virtual

Cost/Stipend: Varies by format; financial aid available

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective

Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including fall, spring, summer, and winter

Application Deadline: Summer: May | Winter: November | Spring: January | Fall: September

Eligibility: College students and young professionals able to work 5–10 hours per week for eight weeks

The Ladder University Internship Program is a selective startup internship program for undergraduates. It connects undergraduate students with high-growth startups. These startups work in various fields, including medicine, psychology, and health tech. Working with such a company can help you explore your interests in mental health and gain hands-on work experience. You will work on real projects under the guidance of the startup manager. By the end of the program, you will complete and present your work to the organization. You can find more details regarding the application and available internship formats here.

2. Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health’s Undergraduate Summer Internship

Location: Virtual

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies by year

Dates: 8 weeks starting in June

Application Deadline: January 31

Eligibility: Rising undergraduate seniors

Columbia-WHO Center for Global Mental Health offers summer internships to undergraduates interested in exploring global mental healthcare. Based on your interests, you will participate in research through placement-based mental health projects. Along with research work, you will engage in daily sessions and attend didactic, career, and professional development seminars. Mental health researchers and faculty will mentor you throughout the internship. Opportunities to network with professionals in the healthcare research field are also available.

3. MindCORE Summer Fellowship Program @ UPenn

Location: University of Pennsylvania, PA

Stipend: Paid on a monthly basis

Acceptance rate/cohort size: 8 students

Dates: June 2 to August 8

Application Deadline: Not specified

Eligibility: First to third-year full-time undergraduate students enrolled at accredited institutions who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents

MindCORE, UPenn’s hub for studying human intelligence and behavior, offers a paid mentored 10-week summer research experience to undergraduates interested in cognitive science. Here, you will work on a research project at the university lab under the guidance of a mentor. You will engage in one week of introductory sessions covering interdisciplinary research in cognitive science and also undergo training in research ethics and technical skills. You will also participate in lab tours, Informal group check-ins, journal club meetings led by a graduate student or postdoc, research seminars, and professional development opportunities. You will work with your mentor to create a final poster or presentation describing your summer research and present the project to lab staff, faculty, and peers at the end of the program. 

4. Active Minds Internship Program

Location: Active Minds, Washington, D.C.

Stipend: $1,250 per month

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: September to December (fall) | January to April (spring) | June to August (summer)

Application Deadline: TBA

Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates

Active Minds is a nonprofit that focuses on promoting mental health among young adults. Its internship program offers college students the opportunity to further its mission. During the internship, you will be directly involved with the organization’s initiatives and projects and assist with administrative tasks. This internship provides exposure to and experience in the nonprofit sector while also allowing you to contribute to improving the culture surrounding mental health. Your specific role/position and tasks vary depending on the organization’s needs, but you will spend around 20 hours per week working for the organization.

5. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Summer Internship Program

Location: Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA

Stipend: Available

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: June 9 to August 15

Application Deadline: To be announced

Eligibility: Rising seniors enrolled in full-time undergraduate programs at American colleges or universities; graduate, master's, and doctoral students also eligible

This internship is an opportunity for college students to explore the connection between physical, social, and mental health. Alongside Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness Center researchers and/or Science Affiliates, you will work on projects related to the center’s mission. During the internship, you will collect and analyze data and support literature reviews, grant writing, and/or the development of repositories of information. You will learn how science related to the health linkages can inform policy and practice. You will receive mentorship and guidance throughout the program. At the end of the internship, you will deliver a short presentation and submit a report on the work you did over the summer.

6. Internships at APA

Location: Virtual

Stipend: Available

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: Spring, summer, fall, and winter internships; dates vary

Application Deadline: Depends on available opportunities

Eligibility: Students eligible to work in the U.S., residing in states where APA is registered as an employer, and enrolled at least part-time in an academic institution; academic requirements vary by position

The American Psychological Association’s paid and academic credit internships allow students to experience working in a professional psychology-based organization. As an intern, you will develop knowledge and skills and explore various career paths in the field while interacting with professionals. Opportunities are available in various departments, and your role and tasks will vary based on your placement. You will find opportunities to build theoretical psychology knowledge while you network with professionals and participate in workshops, discussions, group projects, and other tasks.

7. Yale Child Study Center’s (YCSC) Undergraduate Developmental Science Summer Internship

Location: Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

Stipend: $4,000

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: June 2 to July 25

Application Deadline: January 31

Eligibility: Rising junior and senior undergraduate students

This developmental science summer internship is an eight-week research-based program covering all areas of child health, both physical and behavioral. As an intern, you will work on a range of projects involving basic and applied science, community-based research, and clinical settings. In the past, projects have focused on topics like adolescent risk-taking, addiction, neuroscience of parenting, interventions for vulnerable families, and social-emotional learning. Along with research work, you will attend lectures, seminars, skills and career sessions, and journal clubs. At the end of the internship, you will present your research as a conference-style poster to YCSC and Pediatrics faculty, staff, and students.

8. Clinical Assistant Positions @ Boston Child Study Center

Location: Boston Child Study Center, Boston or Natick, MA

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: September to May

Application Deadline: April 15

Eligibility: Rising undergraduate juniors and seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.5

The clinical assistant position, a voluntary position at the Boston Child Study Center, allows you to help the research center with its mission to serve children and parents. You will work alongside clinical psychologists, licensed mental health counselors, post-doctoral fellows, and clinical externs. You will help with data entry, administrative tasks, preparing Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) session materials, and childcare. You will also participate in weekly team rounds, observe PCIT sessions, learn and apply therapeutic play techniques, and become familiar with behavioral coding systems. Opportunities outside the clinic that involve assisting with group therapy sessions, acting as a confederate for exposures, assisting with research initiatives, and working on a variety of Executive Functioning/Learning and Organizational Skills projects are also available. 

9. Developmental Moral Psychology Lab Internship @ Cornell

Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Stipend: $1,000

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: June 2 to July 12

Application Deadline: January 17

Eligibility: Current undergraduate students, ideally in developmental psychology, cognitive science, moral psychology, or related fields; U.S. citizens, green card holders, or student visa holders (F1, J1); must have experience with children (babysitting, childcare, research) and preferably prior research experience

Cornell’s Developmental Moral Psychology Lab’s Internship is a summer opportunity for undergraduates studying psychology and related subjects to engage in the lab’s research. In the summer, you will explore various questions regarding morality, psychology, and their interplay while contributing and conducting research. You will also investigate how individuals engage with questions of morality throughout their lifetimes, including navigating exceptions. You will gain exposure to the complete research process while participating in literature discussions, study design, participant recruitment, data collection, and data coding. You will also complete a project of your own during the internship.

10. Group Counselor @ Camp Triumph

Location: Camp Triumph, North Reading, MA

Stipend: Not specified

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: June 23 to August 15

Application Deadline: Rolling basis

Eligibility: Students enrolled in a relevant undergraduate program with prior experience working with children

Camp Triumph, a therapeutic day camp for children, offers undergraduate students the opportunity to work as a group counselor. The camp hosts children who have been diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders and/or mental health challenges and have difficulty with social skills and self-regulation. As a group counsellor, you will carry out behavior plans, help campers work towards their progress goals, run camp activities, communicate with parents, and write progress reports. You will also assist with the daily activities, like swimming, arts and crafts, games, and field trips, of a group of campers consisting of about 10–12 children. You will work under the supervision of licensed clinicians.

11. Clinical Mental Health Intern for U.S. VETS Long Beach Intervention Team

Location: Long Beach, CA

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: Rolling; full semester or hours available

Application Deadline: Rolling basis

Eligibility: Students enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s program in clinical psychology, counseling, social work, human services, or related fields

This internship allows you to work with the U.S. VETS Long Beach Intervention Team, which is involved in providing mental health, substance use, life skills, and housing stabilization services to veterans in the GPD Transitional Housing Program. As an intern, you will provide individual and group counseling to veterans addressing their mental health. You will use evidence-based therapeutic techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and motivational interviewing. You will also help the team perform mental health assessments and develop treatment plans. Additionally, you will document clinical interventions, progress, and outcomes, collaborate with case managers, attend multidisciplinary team meetings, and facilitate group therapy sessions. Non-clinical opportunities are also available.

12. Key’s Undergraduate and Graduate Internship Program

Location: Key Program offices in Massachusetts, Southern New Hampshire, and Providence, RI

Stipend: $1,500 per semester

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: Typically semester-long internships

Application Deadline: February (summer) | March (fall) | October (spring)

Eligibility: Students eligible to receive college credits for the internship with advisors or professors to sponsor and supervise placements; applicants must be at least 20 years old

Key Program, a mental health organization for troubled youth and their families, offers internship opportunities in counseling, mental health counseling, human services, psychology, social work, and related disciplines. Undergraduate interns are placed in either a residential group home or at a community-based outreach program. Here, you will participate in case studies to learn population, case management, and professional documentation, and support youth with educational and vocational needs. You will also participate in programming activities, plan recreational activities, participate in special projects, and more. Key Program staff members will mentor and guide you throughout the internship. 

13. APA’s Summer Undergraduate Psychology Experience in Research (SUPER) Fellowship

Location: Your own university campus or another degree-granting institution in the U.S. with a faculty member supervising research

Stipend: $4,000

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: 9 weeks

Application Deadline: March 1

Eligibility: Undergraduate students enrolled at an accredited undergraduate degree-granting institution physically located in the U.S. or Canada

The American Psychological Association’s SUPER fellowship offers psychology undergraduates the opportunity to engage in mentored research. You will begin by securing a faculty member mentorship and then spend nine weeks working in their lab on a psychological science research project. You will network with peers, researchers, and APA staff through a series of virtual summer meetings. APA also offers career development webinars and opportunities to present your research.

14. NYU Child & Adolescent Mental Health Summer Internships for Undergraduates

Location: NYU, New York, NY

Cost/Stipend: None

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: 12 weeks in the summer

Application Deadline: To be announced

Eligibility: NYU matriculated or visiting students registered for CAMS-UA 300 Internship I (two credits) in the first six-week summer session and CAMS-UA 301 Internship II (two credits) in the second summer session

This internship allows you to contribute to efforts that focus on addressing and improving child, adolescent, and family mental health. During the 12-week program, you will work in a mental health-focused clinical, educational, or research setting, typically at NYU Langone’s Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry or a clinical and research affiliate. Faculty or staff members will mentor you during the internship. You will spend 15 hours working on assigned tasks, which vary by placement, and also attend weekly didactic sessions.

15. The Washington Center’s Academic Internship Program

Location: Sites in Washington, D.C.

Cost: Starts at $7,500 plus $60 application fee and minimum $4,990 housing fee; financial assistance available

Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified

Dates: January 26 to May 1 (spring) | June 1 to July 31 (summer) | August 31 to December 4 (fall)

Application Deadline: September 25 (spring); deadlines for summer and fall to be announced

Eligibility: Undergraduate sophomores or above enrolled at an accredited college or university, with at least two semesters completed on campus before the program start, GPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale, and at least 18 years old

The Academic Internship Program combines career coaching with hands-on experience. The first part of the internship is held online to determine your interests and skills, allowing you to then begin working with a program partner company that fits your needs. You can indicate your preference for a mental health internship, which will then be offered either in person or in a hybrid format. Along with gaining professional experience, you will attend workshops, networking events, and a speaker series. Once a week, you will take an academic course to supplement your practical learning. You may be able to earn academic credit through this internship experience. 

One other option—Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you want to pursue independent research under the guidance of a mentor, consider applying to Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, which are selective high school programs founded in partnership with Harvard and Oxford researchers. In the past, 4,000+ students applied for just 500 spots in the research program. You can learn about the application and available programs on the application form here.

Also, you can check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented low-income students. Last year, it offered 150 students full need-based financial assistance.

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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