Course Description
The Psychology Undergraduate Fieldwork Program offers our students the opportunity to earn 4 units of upper-division course credit while interning (paid OR non-paid) in community organizations and agencies where they can see real-world applications of what they are learning in the classroom. The program is designed to address the goals of students seeking exposure to, and experience in, fields they are considering for future careers, especially in the areas of health, mental health, education, social work, and counseling. The undergraduate fieldwork program also builds community partnerships and helps to integrate UCLA into Los Angeles communities. Currently, this program is only offered during all quarters of the academic school year but not during the summer.
The program is comprised of two complementary courses that must be taken at the same time: Psych 195A, the internship course, and Psych 194A, the seminar course.
Psych 195A: The Community Internship (2 units P/NP)
This is a fieldwork contract course for which students are required to intern 6-8 hours per week for the 10-week quarter. Fieldwork site supervisors train and supervise students, provide an initial orientation that includes an explanation of the organization’s overall purpose and operations, and give feedback as to what is expected in order to receive credit for the course. To enroll in this course, students must complete a supplemental form and course contract.
The supervisor will also evaluate the student’s performance upon completion of the course, confirming that all course requirements have been fulfilled. A grade of P/NP will be determined by the teaching team once we have received the Evaluation of Student report from your fieldwork supervisor.
Psych 194A: The Seminar (2 units P/NP)
Students are also required to concurrently attend a two-hour, weekly seminar (check the schedule of classes for the meeting time). This seminar is meant to complement a fieldwork placement and adds a forum where students discuss their internship experiences with an instructor and classmates. Portions of the seminar are dedicated to lecture material on a variety of topics related to the areas of mental health and clinical work. Career development is also a major component of the seminar: students are exposed to the professional literature in fields and on topics relevant to a future line of work they may be considering, expand their knowledge by learning about their classmates’ fieldwork experiences in different settings, practice putting together a resume, and learn about applying to graduate school from current graduate students. To enroll in this course, students must first enroll in Psych 195A, after which they will automatically be enrolled in Psych 194A.
Attendance during the entire seminar is mandatory. If you cannot attend the seminar for the full two hours, you may not enroll in this fieldwork course. Students are not allowed more than one absence per quarter, which includes the Week 1 seminar. You will not receive credit if you miss more than one seminar. There are some limited writing requirements during the quarter (e.g., journal entries). Grading is P/NP.
Course Forms and Deadlines:
- Review the Course Guidelines. If you do not meet these guidelines, you will be unable to enroll in the course.
- Find an internship position. Four to five weeks prior to the start of the quarter, begin the process of securing an internship placement.
- Option 1: Look through the APPROVED PSYCHOLOGY INTERNSHIP POSITIONS 🔗 and contact the Fieldwork Site Supervisor to secure your fieldwork placement.
- Option 2: Work with an internship not on the approved list. If you are proposing to work with an organization that is not already listed as an approved fieldwork site, your site supervisor will need to complete the NEW SITE APPLICATION FOR SUPERVISORS 🔗 by Friday, March 15th at 11:59pm for Spring Quarter 2024. Forms received after the deadline will not be reviewed.
- Create a Psych 195A course contract. Obtain your site supervisor’s signature on the course contract. This is the only signature that you need on this form, despite the form indicating otherwise. ENSURE YOU CREATE THE CONTRACT FOR 24S. IF YOUR CONTRACT IS CREATED FOR THE WRONG TERM, THEN YOUR CONTRACT WILL NOT BE PROCESSED.
- Obtain your site supervisor’s signature on the supplemental form. Make sure they fill out the form in its entirety.
- Submit your forms. Signed course contracts and signed supplemental forms must be submitted to the Psychology Advising Office via MyUCLA’s Message Center by Friday, April 5th at 11:59pm for Spring Quarter 2024 in order to be enrolled in the course. Course Contracts and Supplemental Forms submitted after the deadline will not be reviewed.
Please note that enrollment in your contract course may take up to 10 business days. All contracts submitted by the deadline will be processed by the end of Week 2, pending there are no issues with your course contract. Do not send multiple messages to the Psychology Undergraduate Advising office checking in on the progress of your course contract, as this slows down processing for all students. Please check the Schedule of Classes to make sure you are aware of the seminar time, as attendance in mandatory.