15 Psychology Internships for Undergraduates in CT (Connecticut)
Internships are one of the most effective ways to translate classroom learning into career-ready skills. As a college student, completing an internship can strengthen your resume, clarify your professional interests, and significantly improve your employability after graduation. Employers and graduate programs often look for candidates who have experience in practical settings, not just strong academic performance. For psychology majors, internships offer exposure to clinical environments, research labs, community organizations, and behavioral health settings.
Why should I do a psychology internship in college?
A psychology internship allows you to apply concepts in cognitive development, behavioral analysis, and research methodology to professional settings. You may assist with data collection, patient intake, case documentation, program evaluation, or community outreach, experiences that build both technical and interpersonal competencies. These roles strengthen your skills in communication, ethical decision-making, observation, and critical thinking, all of which are essential in mental health and human services careers.
If you’re studying psychology in Connecticut, you have access to hospitals, research universities, nonprofit agencies, and mental health centers that provide meaningful training opportunities. Below, we have listed 15 psychology internships for undergraduates in CT (Connecticut) to help you get started.
1. Ladder University Internship Program
Location: Remote (work from anywhere)
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies depending on the program type; financial aid is available / No stipend
Dates: 8–12 weeks; multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Application Deadline: January (Spring), May (Summer), September (Fall), November (Winter)
Eligibility: Undergraduates and gap year students able to commit 10–20 hours per week for 8–12 weeks
The Ladder University Internship Program is a selective, fully virtual internship that connects you with startups and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Rather than completing simulated assignments, you work on a real-world project that addresses an active organizational need. This structure ensures that your contributions have a measurable impact and that you gain experience aligned with current industry demands. Throughout the internship, you will collaborate with a designated manager at your host organization, receiving direct supervision and professional feedback. The program emphasizes accountability, structured communication, and deliverable-driven work. At the conclusion of the internship, you present your completed project and defend your work in a professional setting. Apply now!
2. Center for Children with Special Needs (CCSN) – Undergraduate Intern/RBT
Location: Glastonbury, Farmington, and Westbrook, CT
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not publicly disclosed
Dates: Year-round (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, you will explore the core topics of Applied Behavior Analysis and autism spectrum disorder support. In this role, you will shadow experienced clinicians, assist with one-on-one therapy sessions, teach daily living skills, and learn standard clinic protocols. You get a chance to work in an interdisciplinary setting alongside licensed psychologists and Board Certified Behavior Analysts. You will directly observe how comprehensive therapeutic strategies improve the lives of children with complex neurodevelopmental disorders. Ultimately, you will develop skills like empirical data collection, patient-centered behavior management, and the precise execution of behavior-support plans.
3. Yale Program for Recovery & Community Health (PRCH) – Research Intern
Location: New Haven, Connecticut
Stipend: Varies (typically unpaid for course credit, though external university fellowship funding can sometimes be applied)
Dates: Flexible (arranged individually for academic semesters or summer blocks)
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Undergraduate students
At the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health (PRCH), you will engage in participatory research focused on behavioral health recovery, social inclusion, and community integration for people facing psychiatric disabilities or substance use challenges. You will explore essential topics like health disparities, citizenship, and culturally responsive care. Throughout your placement, you will assist with data collection, conduct literature reviews, and help evaluate community-based health programs. The program commits to treating people with lived mental health experience as active co-researchers rather than just study subjects.
4. Emotion, Health, and Psychophysiology (EHP) Lab – Yale University Summer Internship
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT (in person)
Stipend: Paid, amount not publicly disclosed
Dates: June 8 – August 2
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: All undergraduate students
This internship focuses on research at the intersection of emotion, health, and neuroscience. You engage in laboratory and field-based research examining the mind–body connection, with an emphasis on psychophysiological processes such as autonomic nervous system activity. During the program, you receive training in data collection, processing, and analysis, along with weekly lab meetings, tutorials, and professional development seminars. The experience is designed to introduce undergraduates to research methods commonly used in social psychology, health psychology, affective science, and behavioral neuroscience. No prior research or psychophysiology background is required, though interns are expected to maintain professionalism, attention to detail, and reliability throughout the program.
5. Infant Mind and Cognition Lab – Yale University Summer Internship
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT (in person)
Stipend: $5,000
Dates: Eight weeks between start of June – early August
Application Deadline: Early March
Eligibility: Current Yale undergraduate students; non-Yale students should contact the lab manager directly before submitting their materials to discuss eligibility and the funding situation
The Infant Mind and Cognition Lab at Yale University, led by Dr. Nicolò Cesana-Arlotti, offers an intensive summer research internship focused on the developmental foundations of logical reasoning and early cognition. The lab investigates how infants and young children develop the cognitive systems that support language, learning, planning, and decision-making—often described as the “logic of thought.” As a summer intern, you will contribute to research projects involving infants, children, and adults. Responsibilities may include running in-person and online studies, assisting with participant recruitment and scheduling, facilitating experimental sessions, managing and entering data, video coding behavioral responses, and supporting study design.
6. Yale Child Study Center – Undergraduate Developmental Science Summer Internship
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT (in person)
Stipend: Unpaid; stipends up to $4,000 may be available for eligible students who cannot secure outside funding
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, research-intensive eight-week summer internship focused on child health across physical and behavioral domains. You are embedded full-time (40 hours per week) within active research teams working across neuroscience, developmental science, clinical psychology, pediatrics, and community-based research. You will engage with diverse research methods, including the analysis of archival datasets, wet-lab techniques, and clinical observation. In addition to lab work, you attend required lectures, journal clubs, and career development seminars. At the conclusion of the program, you present your summer research as a conference-style poster to faculty and trainees.
7. Yale University – Social Cognitive Development Lab Summer Internship
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT (in person)
Stipend: Up to $5,000; additional funding may be sought through home institutions
Dates: June 1 – August 1
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Undergraduate students or recent graduates; must be eligible to work in the U.S. (no visa sponsorship available)
The Social Cognitive Development Lab at Yale University, led by Dr. Yarrow Dunham, offers an intensive eight-week summer internship focused on developmental psychology and children’s social cognition. The lab examines how children understand and navigate complex social environments, with research spanning topics such as social categories, moral reasoning, and intergroup processes. As a summer intern, you will support ongoing research by conducting studies with children and adults (via Zoom and in person), recruiting and scheduling participants, assisting with study design, facilitating experiments, managing and entering data, and coding video recordings. The internship requires full-time, in-person participation (40 hours per week), and some weekend data collection may be required.
8. Yale University – Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT (in person)
Stipend: $4,000 + $1,000 food allowance + up to $400 travel allowance to and from the program
Dates: Eight weeks during the Summer in June and July
Application Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents; preference for rising juniors and seniors
The Yale Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program is an eight-week immersive research experience designed for undergraduates considering pursuing a PhD. The program provides structured exposure to graduate-level research and academic career pathways across the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. As a SURF fellow, you will be paired with a faculty mentor and work alongside postdoctoral scholars or advanced graduate students. You conduct an independent research project, participate in professional development workshops and panel discussions, and gain firsthand insight into the expectations of doctoral training.
9. Shoreline Wellness Behavioral Health Clinic & Learning Center – Practicums & Internships
Location: West Haven, CT
Stipend: None
Dates: Varies by academic program; graduate placements typically 9–12 months
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Undergraduate volunteers/interns and graduate students in mental health-related programs
Shoreline Wellness Behavioral Health Clinic & Learning Center offers practicum and internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students interested in mental health practice. The clinic serves West Haven and surrounding communities, providing a community-based setting for experiential learning. Undergraduate students work alongside administrative staff, supporting clinic operations and client services. While they do not provide direct clinical care, they gain exposure to the workflow of a behavioral health setting and engage with community outreach initiatives. These roles are suitable if you are exploring careers in psychology, social work, or counseling and want entry-level experience in a clinical environment.
10. Save-A-Suit – Social Psychology Internship
Location: Bethel, CT (in person; not remote)
Stipend: None
Dates: Spring Semester internship operates with a flexible, rolling start date in February
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Currently enrolled college students looking to fulfill an internship or earn college credit
Save-A-Suit is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports veterans by providing professional attire and career development resources. The Social Psychology Internship offers undergraduate students hands-on experience in community outreach and nonprofit operations within a mission-driven setting. As an intern, you will support veteran outreach initiatives, assist with event planning, and help manage relationships with veterans and partner organizations. Responsibilities may include conducting research on veterans’ programs, coordinating community events, managing databases, supporting promotional campaigns, handling customer service communication, and assisting with fundraising and public relations. Some administrative tasks and light inventory management are also required.
11. NAFI Connecticut – Undergraduate & Graduate Internship Program
Location: Multiple sites in Connecticut (Litchfield, Willimantic, Waterbury, Thomaston, North Haven)
Stipend: None
Dates: Academic year placements (September or January start, depending on site)
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Undergraduate BSW or graduate students (MSW, MFT, or psychology with behavioral focus, depending on site); must pass a federal background check, meet vaccination requirements; certain placements require interns to be bilingual (Spanish-English)
In the NAFI Connecticut Undergraduate Internship Program, you will immerse yourself in a hands-on behavioral health experience designed to bridge classroom theory with clinical practice. Throughout your placement, you will explore vital topics like trauma-informed care, developmental services, and community-based interventions. As an intern, you will conduct clinical assessments under supervision, co-facilitate group therapy sessions, participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, and engage with community health providers. The program provides tailored mentorship, matching you with licensed clinicians who provide weekly individual and group supervision to guide your fieldwork.
12. Dr. Deborah Schneider Lab (UConn) – Emotion & Cognitive Control Research
Location: Storrs, CT (UConn Campus)
Stipend: None
Dates: Ongoing (Requires a 3-6 hours/week commitment)
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Highly motivated undergraduates
In this research assistantship, you will contribute to the "Stop, Feel, Go" project to explore how emotional content impacts cognitive control and response inhibition. You will deeply engage with core topics like emotion-cognition interactions, psychometric validation, and experimental design methodology. During your time in the lab, you will recruit participants, administer emotional Go/No-Go behavioral tasks, maintain structured data records, and analyze test sensitivity. The program allows you to establish the foundational reliability of these behavioral tasks right before they are used in advanced neuroimaging studies, while also offering the rare chance to earn formal manuscript co-authorship.
13. Western Connecticut State University – PSY 306 Internship in Applied Psychology
Location: Various community sites in Connecticut (arranged through WCSU)
Stipend: None
Dates: Fall and Spring semesters
Application Deadline: Rolling basis (First-come, first-served basis before each semester)
Eligibility: Psychology majors or minors with junior or senior standing; completion of PSY 202 or PSY 203; instructor permission required
PSY 306 Internship in Applied Psychology at Western Connecticut State University allows upper-level psychology students to earn academic credit while gaining hands-on experience in community-based settings. Internships are matched with sites serving diverse populations, including substance use and recovery programs, community mental health centers, and child and adolescent services. As an intern, you engage in supervised fieldwork and job shadowing, gaining exposure to careers such as school psychology, clinical psychology, guidance counseling, probation services, domestic violence counseling, family resource coordination, and child development therapy. The course is designed to bridge classroom learning with applied practice, helping you understand professional roles and real-world service delivery.
14. UConn Psychological Sciences – PSYC 3880 Internship
Location: On-campus or off-campus sites (Storrs, Stamford, Waterbury, Avery Point, Hartford, and surrounding areas in Connecticut)
Stipend: Varies by site (may be paid or unpaid); course credit available
Dates: Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters
Application Deadline: Varies by semester
Eligibility: Psychological sciences majors (typically sophomore or junior year); permission required to enroll in PSYC 3880; must have completed PSYC 1100 and either PSYC 1101 or PSYC 1103
The PSYC 3880 Internship course at the University of Connecticut allows psychology majors to earn academic credit while gaining professional experience. Internships may be completed on or off campus and can span a wide range of settings, including schools, counseling centers, hospitals, research labs, law enforcement agencies, human resources departments, and applied behavior analysis (ABA) clinics. You will be responsible for identifying and securing your internship site, often with guidance from faculty advisors and the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills. This structure encourages you to reflect on long-term career goals, such as clinical psychology, research, social work, healthcare, or human services, and select placements aligned with your interests.
15. Research Internship – Autism & Functional Mapping Laboratory
Location: Hartford, CT (Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center)
Stipend: Unpaid for academic credit; eligible to apply for CCSU's CEELS stipend (up to $3,000)
Dates: Semester-based or arranged with supervisor
Application Deadline: Varies by semester (typically mid-semester prior to the desired placement term)
Eligibility: CCSU undergraduate psychology students; requires faculty approval and prerequisite coursework
This research internship at the Autism & Functional Mapping (AM-FM) Laboratory provides hands-on exposure to clinical neuroscience research within a psychiatric research institution. You will work with Dr. Michal Assaf and collaborators, assisting with projects that use advanced neuroimaging and electrophysiological methods such as fMRI, DTI, and EEG. The internship focuses on research examining social cognitive processes, such as emotion recognition, empathy, and Theory of Mind, in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, schizophrenia, and healthy control participants. You may assist with organizing and monitoring research data, preparing datasets for analysis, supporting behavioral and EEG paradigms, and conducting literature reviews relevant to current protocols.
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