Department of PsychologyMajor in Psychology445 Undergraduate Practicum

445 Undergraduate Practicum

Overview

Students wishing to extend their extracurricular, professional psychology experience and training may also enroll in our year-long Undergraduate Practicum course (Psych 445) for a variable number of credits (1-3) each semester, based on hours worked on-site. Alongside coursework focused on tangible, real world outcomes and skills, students will choose a Professional Applied Work Emphasis track (see below), to gain relevant, hands-on experience, develop skills that are in demand in the field, make professional connections/references, and further understand/prepare for their career path moving forward.

Admissions to quality (funded/affordable) Masters and PhD level graduate school programs in psychology has become even more competitive, with admission rates ranging from 20-30% (for less competitive state public universities) to 0.3-1.2% (USC, WSU Clinical Psych PhD programs; from Norcross & Sayette, 2024). Thus, it is essentially required that quality applicants possess much more than just an undergraduate degree, with applied, supervised academic and clinical work experience being among the most valued qualifications. Students who complete this course are often much better prepared, and therefore more competitive to progress to graduate school or enter the workforce immediately following graduation.

Though we still consider those outside of the below expectations (with good justification), preference is given to students:

  • Focused on graduate school in the future,
  • With a 3.2 GPA or above,
  • Of Junior or Senior standing

(sophomore, or “unique situations” (e.g. Running Start) will be considered)

Acceptance into the course is contingent upon the following requirements and written materials:

  • Commitment to a year-long enrollment (Fall & Spring)
  • Past coursework
  • Past psychology-related extracurricular work
    • Research, clinical, TA, volunteer leadership, etc…
  • Future career aspirations, Desired Skills/Growth
Psych 445 Internship Course Application: Fall 2026

Fall Semester (1-3 units)

Students enrolled in Psych 445 meet once a week for 1.5-2 hours in a classroom setting, with didactic materials and assignments being focused on professional development and career exploration in advanced psychology (e.g. career exploration assignment, Professional Application Materials project, lectures on CV, Essay/Cover Letter Prep, Graduate School, Interviewing Workshops and practices, etc…). Students will then put this material into practice by applying to work in one of four Professional Applied Work Emphasis tracks, starting around August-October. Students will also propose a Sub-Field Summary presentation topic (in development) to present in the Spring semester. More information is coming soon!

Spring Semester (1-3 units)

Students will re-enroll in Psych 445 (or Psych 497-499) for a variable number of credits, based on chosen Professional Applied Work Emphasis track. In-person class meetings will be 1 hour long and will be focused on deeper discussion around site experiences, professional issues (e.g. Advanced Ethics, Multicultural Issues), and tangible product around future preparation needs (e.g. fully prepared graduate admission materials, in-person interview practice). Students will also present their Sub-Field Summary (20-30 minutes) during these classes. More information is coming soon!

This branch allows students to gain supervised, in-person experience and training at one of more than 25 local and county agencies.  Depending on unit load, 50, 100, or 150 hours are spent working on site at an agency or business under the direction of a site supervisor. Site arrangements are typically made with agencies in Lewiston, Clarkston, Pullman, Moscow, and the greater Palouse region. Occasionally, arrangements are made with agencies located in Spokane and other areas of Washington.

Students gain personal, hands-on training in a field related to psychology while also providing a service to the community. They provide services to the aging and elderly; individuals diagnosed with mental illness; children of all ages and abilities in various educational, residential, and community service settings; therapist-owned private practices; university counseling centers; victims of sexual assault, abuse, and domestic violence; forensic/legal agencies; and individuals recovering from substance abuse. Students provide case management and social work services, guardian services, support and advocacy, para- professional counseling services, tutoring and education, community outreach, hospice care, childcare, recreational services, and program coordination.

Students focused on PhD/doctoral admissions, as well as future non-clinical masters degrees in psychology (e.g. Experimental, I/O), will most benefit from the Applied Research track. This track is further split into two sub-tracks (see below). Each sub-track will result in a final research summary, and a poster presentation at a university conference (SURCA, Psych Dept Research Symposium).

Students will pick one of two sub tracks:

University Research Lab Experience (2-3 unit only)

  • Identify top three WSU Psychology Faculty labs of interest to apply for, upon instructor approval.

Independent Research Experience (2+ unit only)

  • Use existing data-sets from WSU Psychology Faculty to conduct original research, upon instructor approval.