The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) and internships are a great opportunity for students pursuing a career path in the field of psychology. These experiences are at the bedrock of furthering psychology education outside of the classroom and allow students to take a hands-on approach in learning about and contributing to the field. Applying for the opportunities, however, can be an intimidating process that is difficult to navigate. This article provides “tips and tricks” that can help to make the process less stressful and confusing, both in finding undergraduate opportunities and applying for them.
Utilize resources on campus
- Reach out to faculty in the psychology department: Building relationships with faculty is a great way to get advice, access to opportunities their colleagues are working on, or even a research assistant position to work on their research projects.
- Reach out to the career center at your institution: Your career center may have advisors who can help connect you with alumni working in the field or provide connections to REU’s/internships that students from your institution have worked with.
Online tools
- There are countless online resources where researchers and organizations post job or internship listings.
- Good places to start looking for opportunities: Google, Linkedin, Lensa, Indeed, Internships.com, Ziprecruiter, National Science Foundationopens in new window.
Applying
- Apply for a variety of opportunities—the more ground you can cover, the better. REU programs and internships can have a competitive applicant pool, so applying for multiple REU’s/internships will give you a better chance of landing one of the positions you are interested in.
- Make sure your Linkedin account and resume are up to date and be sure to highlight skills/knowledge you’ve gained from psychology courses.
- The Skillful Psychology Student (PDF, 56KB)opens in new window can be a helpful resource for identifying skills to include.
- Be sure to include a description of any research experience you’ve gained through for-credit or volunteer experiences so potential employers can get a firsthand look at your skills and abilities.
- If you’ve been a contributing author on a published paper or conference presentation, be sure to include them on your resume.
- Ask a faculty advisor and/or someone at the career center to read over your application in advance and give feedback.
- A well-constructed resume that highlights your skills and abilities is critical in making a lasting impression when applying for an REU or internship. The APA has an extensive collection of resources on how to best build application materials. Check out some of these resources below:
The interview
- Demonstrate enthusiasm: Even if a specific internship or REU isn’t your first choice, showing interest in the work the interviewer(s) are doing will leave a lasting and positive impression.
- Research the organization’s current and prior work in preparation for the interview.
- Setting up a call prior to an interview to learn more about the internship/REU is also a great way to stand out and demonstrate interest.
- Prepare questions that directly relate to the research you’ve done on the internship/REU; this is a great way to show you’ve done your homework.
- Follow up: Make sure to send an email thanking the interviewer for the opportunity to learn more about what they do and for taking the time to speak with you: This kind of demonstrated interest can go a long way in making you stand out from the rest of the applicant pool.
REU programs and internships with open or upcoming applications
- Internships in the Allegheny County Office of Children, Youth and Familiesopens in new window
- Brighter Hope Wellness Center Internship in mental healthopens in new window
- SAMHSA Internship Programopens in new window
- Undergraduate Summer Research Experience in Behavior Science at WVUopens in new window
- University of North Carolina, Karen M. Gil Internship Program in Psychologyopens in new window
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln Summer Research Program on Minority Health Disparitiesopens in new window
- Samaritans: Volunteer on the Helplineopens in new window
- Internship Opportunities at the APA
- The Leadership Alliance: Summer Research Early Identification Programopens in new window
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Injury Science Research Experiences for Undergraduatesopens in new window
About the author
Sophie Rose is an intern in the Education Directorate at the APA. She is currently a senior at American University in Washington, D.C., where she is a psychology major and studio art minor. Following graduation this coming spring, Sophie plans on continuing her studies and pursuing a PsyD or PhD in psychology.
