The Youth Behavioral Health (YBH) Minor prepares undergraduates to work directly with children, adolescents, and families through rigorous coursework paired with a year-long internship at community behavioral health sites across Southern California.
Note: The YBH Minor is currently pending final approval and is expected to launch in Winter 2027. This page reflects our current planning, and we will continue to add more information as it becomes available.
About the YBH Minor
The YBH Minor was developed to address a well-documented shortage of trained behavioral health workers who can meet the needs of children, adolescents, and families in community settings. Students build foundational knowledge in developmental psychopathology and youth-focused intervention, then apply that knowledge directly through a supervised internship placement. Many students who complete the minor meet the criteria for Certified Wellness Coach (CWC) II certification upon graduation, positioning them to enter the youth behavioral health workforce immediately or to pursue graduate training with substantial applied experience already in hand.
Information Sessions
Thursday, September 17th, 2026: 1:00 P.M.
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026: 2:00 P.M.
Course Requirements
Required Lower-Division Course (4 units)
- PSYCH 10 – Introductory Psychology (prior to or during application)
Required Upper-Division Courses (12 units)
- PSYCH 127C – Clinical Psychological Science: Developmental Perspectives (prior to or during application)*
- PSYCH 128A – Youth Behavioral Health Intervention (Winter quarter)
- PSYCH 128B – Foundations of Youth Behavioral Health (Spring quarter)
Internship Requirement (year-long) (12 units)
- PSYCH 195C – Youth Behavioral Health Field Placement (Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters)
- PSYCH 194C – Youth Behavioral Health Field Placement Seminar (Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters)
*PSYCH 127A and 127B do not cover certain topics that are foundational to the YBH minor. As a result, credit in PSYCH 127A or 127B does not fulfill the minor’s eligibility requirement, and students who have completed one of these courses instead of PSYCH 127C must still take PSYCH 127C, even though they will not receive credit towards their major or degree. Please email ybhminor@psych.ucla.edu to further discuss your eligibility.
| Units | Prior to or during application | Year 1: Winter quarter | Year 1: Spring quarter | Summer | Year 2: Fall, Winter, Spring quarters (year-long) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Required Lower-Division Course (4 units) | PSYCH 10 Introductory Psychology | – | – | – | – |
| Required Upper-Division Courses (12 units) | PSYCH 127C Clinical Psychological Science: Developmental Perspectives | PSYCH 128A Youth Behavioral Health Intervention | PSYCH 128B Foundations of Youth Behavioral Health | – | |
| Internship Requirement (year-long) (12 units) | – | – | – | PSYCH 195C* Youth Behavioral Health Field Placement – PSYCH 194C* Youth Behavioral Health Field Placement Seminar |
PSYCH 195C and PSYCH 194C are taken concurrently across all three quarters of the internship year. Only students who have been accepted into the minor through the application process described below are enrolled in PSYCH 128A, 128B, 195C, and 194C.
Minor Policies
- No more than two courses may be applied toward both this minor and a student’s major.
- A minimum of 20 units applied towards the minor requirements must be in addition to units applied toward major requirements or another minor.
- Each minor course, except for the Psych 195C internship courses, must be taken for a letter grade.
- All graded coursework must be completed with a grade of C or better. Students must earn at least a C in both Psychology 128A and 128B to participate in the fieldwork and seminar components. Students who do not meet these requirements are subject to dismissal from the minor. Psychology 128A and 128B may not be repeated.
- Students must have an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better in the minor. Successful completion of the minor is indicated on the transcript and diploma.
The Internship Experience
YBH minor interns are placed in community organizations across Los Angeles and surrounding areas, including school wellness centers, community mental health clinics, and day treatment centers, where they work with both children and caregivers under the supervision of mental and behavioral health professionals at their site. Internships run approximately 10 hours per week, typically split across two half-day shifts or one full day.
Depending on placement, interns’ responsibilities may include:
- Direct support: one-on-one and group skill-building support, classroom presentations and workshops, and assisting with group treatment led by a clinician
- Case management and resource linkage: connecting clients and families to mental health, medical, and community resources
- Outreach and engagement: representing the behavioral health organization at community events and resource fairs, and supporting broader outreach and engagement efforts
- Assessment and documentation: assisting with standardized behavioral health assessments and service documentation under supervision
- Team participation: attending team meetings, trainings, and clinical supervision
Across placements, interns gain firsthand exposure to how community mental health services operate and the chance to contribute meaningfully to special projects within a behavioral health agency. In a typical week during the internship year, a YBH Minor student spends approximately 12-14 hours per week on YBH-related work. Here’s what it may look like:
- Interns approximately 10 hours per week, typically in one full-day shift or two half-day shifts, during business hours (specific hours vary by site)
- Attends the PSYCH 194C seminar weekly, which includes lectures, structured group consultation, role-plays, and periodic guest sessions with community partners or program alumni
- Completes assigned readings, case preparation, and professional development journal or reflection entries
- Maintains timely communication with 194C instructors and their site supervisor
- Tracks internship hours for potential credentialing (e.g., CWC II)
Admissions
Eligibility
To apply to the YBH Minor, students must:
- Be a declared Psychology department pre-major or major (Psychology, Psychobiology, or Cognitive Science)
- Have an overall UCLA GPA of 3.0 or better (transfer applicants should use their overall transfer GPA)
- Degree expected term of Spring 2028 or later
- Have completed PSYCH 10 (or equivalent credit, such as AP/IB score or transfer credit) with a C or better, or have the course in progress, at the time of application
- Have completed PSYCH 127C with a C or better, or have the course in progress, at the time of application. Please note if PSYCH 127C is in progress at the time of application, any offer of admission to the YBH Minor will be contingent upon earning a final grade of C or better in the course.
- PSYCH 127A and 127B do not cover certain topics that are foundational to the YBH minor. As a result, credit in PSYCH 127A or 127B does not fulfill the minor’s eligibility requirement, and students who have completed one of these courses instead of PSYCH 127C must still take PSYCH 127C, even though they will not receive credit towards their major or degree. Please email ybhminor@psych.ucla.edu to further discuss your eligibility.
Why We Require an Application
Because the number of internship placements available in any given year is limited, the YBH Minor can only admit a limited number of students each cycle. The application process allows us to match the number of admitted students to the internship capacity we have secured with our community partners.
What the Application Involves
The application is organized into five sections: Program Eligibility, Scenario-Based Questions, The Los Angeles Community and You, Fit with Opportunities, and References. Across the application, you’ll answer three short-answer questions (100 words maximum each) about your interest in the minor and any relevant prior experience, respond to several questions about your career interests and internship preferences, and provide contact information for two references.
How to Apply
Applications open September 1 and close on October 9, 2026, at 5:00PM PST. Admission decisions are released by the end of week 7 of Fall Quarter.
The online application must be completed in a single sitting; there is no option to save your progress and return later. You’ll also need to submit contact information for two references using [this Qualtrics link], separately from your application. Both your application and your references’ evaluations must be received by the October 9 deadline. We recommend the following approach:
- Download a copy of the application in advance
- Review all four sections, and draft your short-answer responses ahead of time
- Confirm with your two references that they’re willing and able to complete a brief evaluation on your behalf, and gather their contact information
- Submit your reference contact information through this Qualtrics link as soon as possible, ideally 1-2 weeks before the October 9 deadline, so your references have time to complete their evaluation
- Have your Degree Audit Report or transcript ready to upload
- Once you’ve prepared your responses and set aside enough time to complete the form in full, open the online application and submit
Once you submit your reference information, each reference will automatically receive an email with a link to a brief evaluation form (about 5-10 minutes to complete). You’ll receive a confirmation email once each reference submits their evaluation. If you haven’t received confirmation that both of your references have submitted their evaluations as the deadline approaches, we recommend reaching out to them directly as a reminder, since we’re unable to review your application until both evaluations are received.
Questions about eligibility or the application process can be directed to ybhminor@psych.ucla.edu.
A Note for International Students on F-1 visas
In August 2026, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issued new guidance (Broadcast Message 2608-01) that significantly narrows when Curricular Practical Training (CPT), the work authorization typically required for internships, can be authorized for F-1 students. The YBH Minor’s year-long internship (PSYCH 195C) is a required component of our program, so students must be able to obtain the necessary work authorization to pursue it. Given the SEVP guidance, we are not able to guarantee that F-1 students would be able to secure the work authorization needed to complete the internship requirement. Students with questions about their individual eligibility should contact the Dashew Center for International Students & Scholars as well as ybhminor@psych.ucla.edu. We will continue to monitor for updates and will revise this policy if the guidance changes.
Drop-in Schedule for Applicants
Virtual drop-ins are available for students interested in applying to the YBH minor who have quick questions about the application process, program requirements, or the minor. Please email ybhminor@psych.ucla.edu for more information.
Tuesday: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.