Internships are essential learning experiences for students in their early careers. Not only do they provide opportunities for networking and mentorship with staff, but they also assist students in better understanding the intricacies of the working world. Students inherently help themselves when participating in internships, giving them the chance to build on their skillsets and gain insights into the kinds of work they would like to do in the future.
The APA Internal Internship Program (IIP) is a 100% remote opportunity for students of various educational levels, including high school students, undergraduates, and even graduate students. APA internship opportunities vary across several important dimensions. Each position has different responsibilities depending on the office and its function. Some internships are paid positions, whereas others offer academic credit. Different positions may also require certain educational credentials (e.g., currently enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate program) or prefer that applicants have particular skills or experiences. All positions offer students the opportunity to develop their workforce readiness skills and learn more about APA and psychological science.
Although most of our internships prefer undergraduate or graduate student interns, competitive high school interns are considered on occasion. Please reach out directly to inquire about possible eligibility. Please also note that prospective interns under the age of 18 must work with their school counselor to fill out a D.C. work permitopens in new window along with their application materials.
Recent graduates (whether of undergraduate or graduate degree programs) can participate only in paid APA internship opportunities as they are no longer eligible for academic credit/unpaid internships due to loss of affiliation with an academic institution.
Internships at APA are open to any student who is eligible to work in the U.S. (as verified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s eVerify service) and who resides in one of the states where APA is already registered as an employer. Students are encouraged to read the description and requirements of each position carefully before applying. Students should also know that these opportunities are in demand and the application process is competitive.
For more information about APA internships, please see the internship main page and the internship FAQ page on the APA website. For specific information about current internship opportunities, please see our internship recruitment pageopens in new window or contact Valencia Lagbo.
In 2023, APA was fortunate to work with an excellent cohort of interns across a diverse set of offices and programs. Read some highlights from their experiences below:
Alice English
Senior psychology student at the University of Maryland (expected graduation 2024)
English worked in APA’s Office of Precollege and Undergraduate Education in the Education Directorate, where she assisted in conducting research and writing projects for the office. One ongoing project she worked on was organizing updates to the assessments in APA Project Assessment. Working with the recent approval of the APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major: 3.0, English helped modify the assessments and reached out to authors to assist with a planned update to the repository in 2024.
Brianna Stammetti
Second-year law student at Georgetown University Law Center; 2022 graduate of Boise State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology
Stammetti worked as an intern in the Office of the General Counsel here at APA. Stammetti helped the amicus brief program by writing case summaries for the APA website, reviewing court documents, discussing whether to submit briefs, and attending meetings with the Amicus Curiae Expert Panel. She also assisted in drafting a new clause for event contracts and conducted legal research for the transactional law aspects of APA.
Jennifer Albert
Senior psychology student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (expected graduation 2024)
Albert worked as an intern under the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Office to help create the APA’s Accessibility and Inclusion Maturity Model (AIMM). She assisted in scholarly research to aid in the creation of the AIMM Foundational Document and learned how organizations can be more accommodating to their employees with disabilities.
Krystal Augustin
Recent graduate of NOVA Southeastern University’s forensic psychology master’s program (graduated 2023)
Joining APA’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Office in October 2023, Augustin jumped right in to assist with the preparation, promotion, and successful execution of the November town hall webinar, including the coordination of accessibility features. She has also worked on various writing tasks related to the Racial Equity Action Plan and disability inclusion at APA. Next, Augustin will assist with writing and organizing the foundational document for the Accessibility Inclusion Maturity Model (AIMM).
Sangeeta Kaul
Graduate student in mental health counseling (hybrid virtual program) at Goddard College (expected graduation 2024)
Kaul had a virtual internship for academic credit with APA’s digital strategy and services team for the Fall 2023 semester. She worked in the digital division of APA with great mentors, including Jessica Durando and Brian Woodburn. She is excited to have worked on developing social media graphics for the launch of APA’s Instagram page, @APA_orgopens in new window.
Veronica Martinez, EdS, NCSP
Doctoral student in the school psychology program at Howard University (expected graduation 2025)
As a year-long intern with APA’s social impact team in the Public Interest Directorate, Martinez has attended design thinking trainings and conducted literature reviews on current EDI trends and presented the findings to the team. She also volunteered with APA at its recent Healing is Here Summit at Howard Law School, assisted in editing the final draft of the Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Older Adults, and helped in the collection of research in the area of informative and best practice social innovation trainings.
Yolanda Fernandez Cedeno
Senior psychology student at the George Washington University (expected graduation 2024)
Fernandez worked in APA’s advocacy office for the term. During her internship at APA, Fernandez attended congressional hearings and briefings, and regularly participated in meetings for the Committee of Education Funding. She also helped with research and compilation of data relevant to the advocacy office.
About the Author
Valencia Lagbo serves as the point person for APA’s Internal Internship Program (IIP), working also as an executive assistant in the Education Directorate. Lagbo earned her bachelor’s degree in public policy and leadership and global development studies from the University of Virginia in 2022.
