13 Child Psychology Internships for Undergraduates
If you are interested in child psychology, completing an internship during college is one of the best ways to gain practical experience beyond the classroom. Internships allow you to observe how psychologists, counselors, behavioral therapists, and researchers support children across clinical, educational, and community settings. These experiences strengthen your resume, improve your graduate school applications, and help you develop communication, research, and observational skills that employers value. You also gain exposure to specialized fields such as developmental psychology, autism intervention, pediatric mental health, and behavioral research.
If you’re interested in summer internships in psychology, check out a list of psychology summer internships here!
Why should I do a Child Psychology internship in college?
A child psychology internship provides valuable insight into careers in counseling, clinical psychology, developmental psychology, social work, psychiatry, education, and behavioral research. By participating in an internship during college, you gain hands-on exposure to real-world child development and mental health settings while learning how professionals interact with children and families. These experiences can significantly improve your employability after graduation, as employers and graduate programs often prioritize candidates with practical experience. You will also strengthen your transferable skills such as data analysis, interviewing, observation, teamwork, documentation, and professional communication.
To help you get started, we’ve put together 13 child psychology internships for undergraduates that offer valuable academic, research, and professional experience.
Key takeaways
This list gathers 13 child psychology internships for undergraduates spanning university research labs, behavioral health clinics, and national psychology organizations, with standout hosts including Yale, the University of Chicago, and UC Berkeley.
Pay varies widely, with strong stipends reaching $5,000 at a couple of Yale-affiliated research labs, while several of the clinical and nonprofit-based internships are unpaid, and one university-affiliated program requires paying tuition for required coursework alongside the internship itself.
Several of these are highly specialized developmental psychology research labs studying topics like infant cognition, social reasoning, and childhood learning, giving students interested in research a chance to work directly with faculty and graduate mentors on active studies.
These internships are spread across Connecticut, New York, Illinois, Michigan, and California, so most require being on-site at a specific university or clinic, while Ladder remains the only fully virtual option on the list.
The earliest deadline falls in late January for one of the most competitive Yale-affiliated research programs, with several more clustering into February, so it's worth starting applications well before spring.
1. American Psychological Association (APA) Internships
Location: Remote and Washington, D.C. opportunities available
Cost/Stipend: Paid and academic credit (unpaid) internship options available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: Year-round internships offered during spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the internship cycle
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at least part-time in an academic institution | Applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S.
The American Psychological Association (APA) Internship Program allows undergraduate students to explore careers in psychology through policy, research, communications, publishing, education, and operations-focused roles. During the internship, you will work within one of APA’s departments while applying psychological concepts to real-world projects and organizational initiatives. Depending on your role, responsibilities may include contributing to research activities, analyzing policy issues, educational programming, supporting communications campaigns, or workplace projects that support psychology professionals and public outreach efforts. The program also includes workshops, networking opportunities, group projects, and mentorship experiences that help you understand non-traditional career pathways in psychology. Because APA operates as one of the world’s largest psychology organizations, you will gain exposure to professionals across multiple disciplines while building valuable professional connections.
2. Ladder University Internship Program
Location: Remote (you can participate from anywhere in the world)
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on the cohort | Financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year – spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort (January, May, September, and November cycles)
Eligibility: Undergraduate and gap year students who can work for 8 to 12 weeks, committing 10 to 20 hours/week
The Ladder University Internship Program is a selective virtual internship where undergraduate students work directly with startups and nonprofit organizations on real-world projects across multiple fields such as psychology, education, healthcare, business, and research. During the program, you collaborate with an organization to address practical challenges while strengthening transferable skills in communication, collaboration, research, and project management. Depending on your placement, you may contribute to behavioral research, educational initiatives, mental health projects, community outreach, or organizational strategy. Throughout the internship, you receive ongoing mentorship and feedback from startup leaders and experienced professionals who guide your work and help you navigate a fast-paced professional environment.
3. Center for Children with Special Needs (CCSN)
Location: Glastonbury, Farmington, and Westbrook, CT
Cost/Stipend: Paid hourly | Rate not publicly disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Year-round with flexible part-time schedules
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Undergraduates pursuing a degree in Psychology, Behavior Analysis, Special Education, or a related field
At the Center for Children with Special Needs (CCSN), you will gain hands-on experience supporting children with autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental conditions through Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)-based interventions. During the internship, you will shadow experienced clinicians, assist with one-on-one therapy sessions, and help children develop communication, behavioral, and daily living skills. You will work closely with licensed psychologists, Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), and interdisciplinary care teams while learning how individualized treatment plans are implemented in clinical settings. The role also exposes you to clinical documentation, empirical data collection, behavior tracking, and patient-centered intervention strategies that are commonly used in child psychology and behavioral health settings. Because you interact directly with both clinicians and families, you will strengthen your communication, observation, and professional collaboration skills in a real-world therapeutic environment.
4. Infant Mind and Cognition Lab - Yale University Summer Internship
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT (in person)
Cost/Stipend: $5,000 as a stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Eight weeks between early June and early August
Application Deadline: Early March
Eligibility: Current Yale undergraduate students | Non-Yale students may contact the laboratory manager regarding eligibility and funding opportunities
The Infant Mind and Cognition Lab at Yale University, led by Dr. Nicolò Cesana-Arlotti, offers a rigorous summer research internship focused on infant cognition, reasoning, and developmental psychology. During the internship, you will contribute to research examining how infants and young children develop cognitive systems related to language, learning, planning, and decision-making. Your responsibilities may include conducting in-person and online experiments, recruiting and scheduling participants, facilitating developmental research sessions, managing datasets, coding behavioral responses from videos, and assisting with study design. Because the lab works with infants, children, and adults, you will gain exposure to multiple developmental research methods commonly used in cognitive and child psychology.
5. Yale Child Study Center - Undergraduate Developmental Science Summer Internship
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT (in person)
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid | Stipends up to $4,000 may be available for eligible students who cannot secure outside funding
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 1 - July 24
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors who are U.S. citizens or international students enrolled at U.S. undergraduate institutions
The Yale Child Study Center (YCSC), in partnership with the Department of Pediatrics, offers a competitive and research-intensive summer internship focused on child health, developmental science, and behavioral research. During the eight-week program, you will work full-time within active research teams studying areas such as neuroscience, developmental psychology, pediatrics, clinical psychology, and community-based child health. Depending on your placement, you may contribute to archival data analysis, wet-lab research, clinical observation, behavioral studies, and developmental assessments involving children and adolescents. In addition to hands-on laboratory work, you will participate in lectures, journal clubs, research discussions, and professional development seminars designed to strengthen your understanding of developmental science careers. You will also interact closely with faculty mentors, clinicians, graduate researchers, and healthcare professionals while gaining exposure to interdisciplinary child-focused research environments.
6. Yale University - Social Cognitive Development Lab Summer Internship
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT (in person)
Cost/Stipend: Up to $5,000 | Additional funding may be available through home institutions
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: June 1 - August 1
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Undergraduate students or recent graduates who are eligible to work in the U.S.
The Social Cognitive Development Lab at Yale University, led by Dr. Yarrow Dunham, offers a rigorous summer internship focused on developmental psychology and children’s social cognition. During the program, you will contribute to research exploring how children understand social groups, moral reasoning, identity, and intergroup interactions. Your responsibilities may include conducting studies with children and adults both in person and online, recruiting and scheduling participants, assisting with study design, facilitating experimental sessions, managing datasets, and coding behavioral video data. Because the laboratory combines developmental psychology with social cognition research, you will gain exposure to experimental methods commonly used in child psychology and behavioral science research. The internship also allows you to work closely with faculty members, graduate students, and research teams while strengthening your analytical, observational, and research communication skills.
7. NYU Langone - CAMS Summer Internship Program
Location: New York University and NYU Langone affiliated clinical and research sites, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid | Students must pay NYU summer tuition for required CAMS courses
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: 12-week summer internship across summer sessions I and II
Application Deadline: Rolling review beginning January 27 | Interviews typically occur in mid-February
Eligibility: Undergraduate students from any NYU school or college | Visiting students may participate after enrolling in NYU summer sessions
The CAMS Summer Internship Program, sponsored by NYU Langone’s Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, allows you to gain hands-on experience in child and adolescent mental health through clinical, educational, and research placements. During the internship, you will work part-time in a professional setting focused on children, adolescents, and family mental health while being mentored by faculty members and experienced clinicians or researchers. Depending on your placement, you may contribute to research projects, observe clinical care environments, assist with educational programming, or support mental health initiatives within affiliated organizations. Interns commit to at least 15 hours per week at their placement sites while also completing the CAMS Summer Internship courses, which include weekly lectures on career pathways, research methods, and professional development in child and adolescent mental health. Through these seminars, you will strengthen your presentation, communication, and analytical skills while learning about interdisciplinary approaches to pediatric mental healthcare.
8. Children’s Research Triangle (CRT) - Research Internship Program
Location: Chicago, IL (hybrid)
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid; limited paid positions and stipends may be available depending on grant funding
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Spring, summer, and fall cohorts are available
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Undergraduate students who have completed coursework in psychology, behavioral science, child development, social work, or pre-medical studies
The Children’s Research Triangle (CRT) Research Internship Program allows you to gain hands-on experience in psychological research and nonprofit program evaluation focused on child and adolescent mental health. During the internship, you will contribute to ongoing projects involving childhood trauma, behavioral health, youth mental health training, substance use screening, and developmental services for children and families. Your responsibilities may include conducting literature reviews, scoring psychological measures, interviewing families over the phone, entering and cleaning data in Excel and IBM SPSS, assisting with data analysis, and supporting database development for child mental health programs. Because the internship is supervised by licensed clinical psychologists and research professionals, you will strengthen your understanding of research methodology, behavioral assessment, and evidence-based program evaluation in nonprofit healthcare settings.
9. Shoreline Wellness Behavioral Health Clinic & Learning Center - Practicums & Internships
Location: West Haven, CT
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort Size: Selective
Dates: Varies by academic program | Graduate placements typically last 9 - 12 months
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Undergraduate volunteers/interns and graduate students in mental health-related programs
The Shoreline Wellness Behavioral Health Clinic & Learning Center offers practicum and internship opportunities for students interested in gaining exposure to behavioral health and community mental healthcare settings. As an undergraduate intern, you will work alongside administrative and clinical support staff while learning how a behavioral health clinic operates on a day-to-day basis. Your responsibilities may include assisting with clinic coordination, supporting client services, participating in community outreach efforts, and observing the workflow of mental health professionals in a clinical environment. Although undergraduate interns do not provide direct clinical care, you will gain valuable insight into patient-centered mental healthcare systems and interdisciplinary behavioral health services.
10. NAFI Connecticut - Undergraduate & Graduate Internship Program
Location: Multiple sites across Connecticut, including Litchfield, Willimantic, Waterbury, Thomaston, and North Haven
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Academic year placements beginning in September or January, depending on site
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Undergraduate BSW students or graduate students in MSW, MFT, psychology, or related behavioral health programs | Applicants must pass a federal background check and meet vaccination requirements | Some placements require bilingual proficiency in Spanish-English
The NAFI Connecticut Internship Program provides hands-on behavioral health training designed to connect academic coursework with real-world clinical and community-based practice. During your placement, you will gain exposure to trauma-informed care, developmental services, behavioral interventions, and community mental health systems while working alongside licensed clinicians and multidisciplinary care teams. Depending on your site placement, your responsibilities may include assisting with clinical assessments, co-facilitating group therapy sessions, participating in treatment planning discussions, and coordinating with community healthcare providers. The program also emphasizes professional development through weekly individual and group supervision sessions led by experienced behavioral health professionals who guide your clinical learning and fieldwork experience.
11. Michigan Summer Program in Cognition and Early Development (MSPICED) - University of Michigan
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Cost/Stipend: NSF REU stipends available for eligible non-University of Michigan applicants; University of Michigan students may seek internal funding
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective | Cohort size not specified
Dates: Early June to early August
Application Deadline: February 16
Eligibility: University of Michigan and non-University of Michigan undergraduates may apply | NSF REU stipend eligibility requires U.S. citizenship or permanent residency and a full-time commitment of 40-hour/week
MSPICED is a developmental psychology research program where you will study how young children think, cooperate, form concepts, acquire language, and develop literacy skills. You will be paired with a graduate student or postdoctoral mentor and contribute to a research project in one of the participating developmental psychology laboratories. During the program, you will conduct experimental studies with children, recruit and schedule families, process data, analyze results, and help with study design. You will also learn about developmental neuroscience methods, including functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The program includes weekly lab meetings, reading groups, statistical analysis workshops, and professional development sessions on topics such as graduate school and research statements. At the end, you will present your work at a poster fair for members of the Psychology Department.
12. Early Social Thinkers Laboratory Summer Internship - University of Chicago
Location: Chicago, IL
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship | $3,000 as a total stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 15 to August 22
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Undergraduates, graduating seniors, and recent post-bacc students | You must have U.S. citizenship or an existing sponsored visa, since the lab cannot sponsor visas
The EAST Lab internship is a paid summer research opportunity focused on social cognitive development and how children navigate the social world. You will work on research related to topics such as stereotypes, social categories, and social inequality in childhood. As an intern, you will support lab projects while gaining experience with developmental psychology research methods and child-focused study procedures. The program is designed for motivated applicants who are interested in working with children and families, and previous experience working with children is considered beneficial. You will work 20 hours per week during the 10-week internship. This is a strong fit if you want a child psychology internship that connects developmental research with questions about social thinking and inequality.
13. Cognitive Development and Learning Lab / Gopnik Lab Summer Internship - UC Berkeley
Location: Berkeley, CA
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid | $2,400 travel stipend available for interns who cannot secure outside funding
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: June 1 to July 24
Application Deadline: February 11
Eligibility: Undergraduate students or recent graduates | You must be enrolled in a U.S.-based institution if you are an international applicant, and the laboratory cannot sponsor visas
The Gopnik Lab Summer Internship gives you hands-on research experience in children’s learning, causal reasoning, curiosity, exploration, and social cognition. You will work on ongoing research projects with senior laboratory members, including graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and the laboratory manager. Your work may include designing experiments and stimuli, recruiting and testing children aged 3 to 14 and adults, conducting studies in museums, preschools, and online, and assisting with coding and analyzing data. You will also read and discuss theoretical and empirical papers related to cognitive development. The internship includes weekly reading groups, laboratory meetings, and professional development programming for students interested in psychology careers. This is a strong option if you want research experience that connects child development, learning, and broader questions about human cognition.
Questions students often ask about these internships
1. Do I need to already be a psychology major to apply to these internships?
Not always. Several of these welcome students from related fields like social work, education, or behavioral science, though a psychology-related major is preferred for the more clinical placements. Check each listing's eligibility section before ruling yourself out.
2. Some of these internships are unpaid or even require paying tuition. Are they still worth pursuing?
Often yes, especially at well-known research labs, since the mentorship and research credentials can carry real weight for graduate school applications. If cost is a concern, several paid options on this list are worth prioritizing first.
3. Do I need to already attend the host university to apply to these internships?
Not for most of them, though a couple of the Yale-affiliated labs do favor or require current Yale enrollment. Most others on this list are open to undergraduates from any institution.