Students in front of the Rubenstein building

Faculty in the UVM Department of Psychological Science are dedicated to helping connect students with supervised research experience of mentored clinical internships for which they can earn credit. These programs provide real-world learning opportunities linking classroom theory with practical experience.

Supervised Research Experience

This is a course designed to provide you with research experience tailored to fit your specific interests. Common examples include: working on a research project in a faculty member's laboratory or working on an extensive theoretical paper in psychological science. Undergaduate Research Application Form (PSYS 198).

Mentored Clinical Internship (MCI)

The MENTORED CLINICAL INTERNSHIP (MCI) course (two semesters -fall and spring consecutively) offers psychological science students opportunities to apply their academic learning experiences to a wide variety of mental health related placements. Placement agencies range on a continuum from advocacy to programs serving people of all ages experiencing mental health challenges. The course connects you to agencies that fit your interests and/or future goals. Second, the weekly seminar is an opportunity for all interns to share experiences, appreciate the importance of ethics and confidentiality in clinical psychological work, and offer advice about how to handle thought-provoking, sometimes perplexing placement situations. The seminar is a kind of “think tank,” a way to discuss situations, cases, and specific concerns in a safe and confidential environment. The Capstone Research Project (both semesters) provides an opportunity to apply what you learned academically to benefit your host agency. See the list of organizations in which students are currently enrolled in the right sidebar on this page. For more information.

Recent MCI Collaborations

  • Baird School (Howard Center Department of Children Youth and Families)
  • Bellcate School
  • Champlain Valley Head Start
  • Chittenden County Public Defender’s Office
  • Chittenden Regional Correctional Center (serving women)
  • Converse Home Memory Care Program
  • Howard Center Adult Developmental Services:  Person Centered Thinking Program
  • Howard Center Comprehensive Care Programs (Jarrett House serving children and Transition House serving adolescents)
  • Howard Center Community Intervention Program
  • King Street Youth Center
  • Lund Family Center
  • Mansfield Hall (Residential:  Young adult students with social interactional and learning challenges)
  • Migrant Justice
  • Outright Vermont
  • Phoenix House Drug & Acohol Treatment:  RISE Supported Living Program
  • Sara Holbook Community Center
  • Spectrum Youth and Family Services
  • Turning Point Substance Abuse Recovery Center
  • UVM Athletic Dept. of Sports Psychology & Counseling Program
  • UVM Department of Psychiatry, Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA)
  • UVM Dept. of Psychiatry, Vermont Center on Behavior and Health
  • UVM Dept. of Psychological Science, Vermont Psychological Services (out-patient clinic)
  • UVM Living Well - Step-Up Program
  • UVM Living Well - Catamount Recovery
  • Vermont State Department for Children and Families (DCF)
  • Winooski Family Center 

 

  • Learning About Behaviors of Addiction

    Lauren Woodard ’20 grew up in suburban Washington D.C. and envisioned herself attending a small liberal arts college, but she was impressed by her visit to UVM. “I had gone to small schools my whole life, but I could tell UVM was a place I’d be pushed to make things happen for myself, while also offering the infrastructure to make those things possible.” Woodard entered as an English major and wasn’t sure if she had made the right choice. After taking a semester-long sabbatical to reflect on what she wanted for her college experience, she returned to UVM and declared psychological science as her major. “I dove right in and took enough credits so that I’ll end up graduating on time,” she said. It was Professor Mark Bouton’s “Learning, Cognition & Behavior” course that ignited Woodard’s interest in research. She approached Bouton about joining his lab and found herself immersed in experiments about how organisms develop habitual behavior—behaviors which can be beneficial, or destructive, like drug addiction.

    Read more of Lauren's story

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Participate in a research study

Researchers are always looking for individuals to participate in studies they are conducting under the guidance of faculty members of the Department of Psychological Science, and most studies will compensate you for your time and equate to course credit.Learn more about participating in a research study.

Get involved

UVM has an active psychology club which sponsors activities including colloquia, movie nights, volunteer opportunities in local mental health organizations, and “What's Happening in Research” nights, which feature exciting news in the psychological sciences presented by faculty and grad students in the department. UVM also belongs to Psi Chi, a national psychological sciences honor society; students with a GPA of 3.3 are inducted into the chapter during the second semester of their senior year.