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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 (see instructions below).
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 Psych Advising Office 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 (see instructions below), 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. There are some limited writing requirements during the quarter (e.g., journal entries). Grading is P/NP.
Who Can Enroll?
- To participate in the Fieldwork in Psychology Program, students must enroll in both Psych 195A (2 units) and Psych 194A (2 units) for a total of 4 P/NP upper-division units.
- Students must work at their internship during the same quarter they enroll in both Fieldwork in Psychology courses (Psych 195A & 194A).
- Sophomore, Junior, or Senior standing is required.
- The Fieldwork in Psychology courses do not satisfy any major requirement for Psychology, Psychobiology, or Cognitive Science majors.
- Only 12 units from any combination of courses 185, 192, 194, 195, 196 may be applied toward an undergraduate degree.
- Only one Fieldwork in Psychology 195A contract can be submitted in any quarter.
- Students who would like to continue with the same Fieldwork in Psychology placement in future quarters and continue to earn credit must submit a new contract signed by the Fieldwork Site Supervisor to re-enroll in the program.
How to Enroll:
This is a multi-step process and we strongly encourage you to plan and begin this process in the quarter before you want to enroll in this program. You will first need to submit two forms in order to enroll in 195A, after which, you will be enrolled in Psych 194A upon processing your course contract. All instructions are detailed below.
- Choose a Fieldwork Site
- Before the quarter in which you want to enroll, look through the fieldwork site listings on our website and begin making inquiries through email and/or phone calls to internships that align with your interests.
- Once you have gathered the information you need, choose a site that will best meet your goals and match your availability and confirm your internship placement with the site supervisor. They will need to sign two documents, detailed in steps 2 and 3 below.
- If you want to work with an organization that is not listed on our website, please ask the potential supervisor of the new site to fill out the New Fieldwork Site Application to begin the site review process. New site applications must be submitted early in order to be reviewed well in advance – the department will not review new sites after Week 1 of the quarter in which you wish to enroll. Please note that the site review process may take 5-10 business days and approval of sites is not guaranteed.
- Fieldwork internships can be paid or unpaid and the site must be located in or around the Los Angeles area.
- Complete the Supplemental Form for 195A
- Fill out the Student Information section of the Psych 195A Supplemental Form.
- Send the supplemental form to your fieldwork site supervisor to have them complete the rest of the form. They must email it back to you.
- Create a Course Contract for 195A
- Log on to MyUCLA, click on Classes > Contract Courses and follow these step-by-step instructions for creating your Psych 195A Contract.
- You do not need the Faculty Mentor, Department Chair, or Center for Community Learning Coordinator’s signatures. You only need your Site Supervisor’s Signature.
- View and download the contract once you have completed it. Send the PDF to your fieldwork site supervisor to get their signature.
- Submit your 195A Supplemental Form and Course Contract
- Once you have completed the supplemental form and course contract and have obtained your fieldwork supervisor’s signature on both documents, submit them to the Psych Advising Office via the Message Center on MyUCLA. Please include your full name and UID in your correspondence. Please see the steps below for submitting documents.
- Log in to MyUCLA
- Click on the yellow “Need Help?” button in the top right corner
- Click “Message Center”
- Click the green “Ask a Question” button
- Select “Academic Counseling Unit” and type “Psychology” in the text field
- Type “195A Contract Course Enrollment” into the Subject Line
- Attach electronic or scanned copies of your course contract and supplemental form
- Click “Send”
- You will receive a reply in the Message Center after your contract has been received and processed.
- The deadline to email supplemental forms and course contracts to the Psych Advising Office is Friday of Week 1, but early submission is highly encouraged.
- If you require approval to enroll in Psych 195A and 194A because you will exceed the limit of 5 P/NP units or exceed 19 total units for the quarter, please contact your College Counseling Unit.
- Enroll in Psych 194A
- Once the Psych Advising Office has received your Psych 195A Supplemental Form and Course Contract, you will automatically be enrolled in Psych 194A. Check MyUCLA to ensure you have been enrolled by Thursday of Week 2.
Contact us:
- For questions about the seminar, please email the Psych 194A instructor, Suzanna Donato, at sdonato@ucla.edu.
- For questions about enrollment or Psych 195A, please contact our office via the Message Center on MyUCLA.