Psychology Practicum

The Psychology Practicum (PSYC 396), a course offered by the Department of Psychology every semester (4 units) and during the 12-week summer session (for 2, 3, or 4 units of credit), provides an opportunity for community-engaged learning (service learning) in a variety of community settings relevant to psychology (e.g., hospitals, mental health and residential treatment centers, skilled nursing facilities, school classrooms, homeless shelters, preschool and daycare centers, and locally-based non-profit organizations). Each student volunteers without pay for a predetermined number of hours (25 hours per one unit of course credit) in an agency and experiences the application of psychology in the real world. Students meet weekly over the course of the semester/session with the instructor to discuss course readings and share their experiences in the fieldwork settings. Psychology Practicum is a psychology elective course (when taken for four units), fulfills the practicum requirement in the Child and Youth Studies Minor (when taken for four units in a child/youth-oriented placement), fulfills an elective requirement in the Gerontology Minor (when taken for four units in an older adult-oriented placement), and also fulfills the university Community-Engaged Learning (aka Service Learning) requirement. Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) is a graduation requirement that may be fulfilled through courses in other departments as well as through the Psychology Practicum course. 

To enroll in this course, students must be of Senior standing.

Prerequisite Courses: PSYC 101 - General Psychology, PSYC 313 - Abnormal Psychology