Research and Internship Courses

The Psychology department offers different special course types for students to earn credit for participating in research and internships.  These include Psychology 197, Psychology 199, and courses specific to the Honors Program. In order to enroll in one of these courses, you will need to fill out an application including the project description, and have it approved by your faculty sponsor.  Be sure to submit the application at least two days in advance of the add deadline in order to have time to enroll in the class.  Upon receipt of the completed application, the advising team will review the application, and if all is in order, will send the student information about how to enroll on CalCentral.

• Psych 199

  Supervised Independent Study and Research, 1-3 units, taken for P/NP.

  Students working and learning as research assistants in a Psychology lab on campus under the supervision of a UC Berkeley Psychology faculty member may apply for units in Psych 199. More advanced students may also earn Psych 199 credit by carrying out their own research under the supervision of a Psychology faculty member.  Students interested in enrolling in Psych 199 courses should refer to the list of opportunities, and apply to open lab positions. 

  Our office posts lab lists for the fall semester in mid-August, and for the spring semester in mid-January. We do not gather any listings for summer. If students are interested in summer opportunities, it is their responsibility to reach out to faculty and ask for lab openings. Summer credit can only be earned in session D. 

   

  Fall 2024 - Psych 199 Research Assistant Positions Now Available!

  Click link for Research Assistant Positions for Fall 2024 through the Department of Psychology.

  Psych 199 Application Process:

  1. Students directly apply through labs (see position posting for specific instructions)

  2. Lab Managers notify Psychology Student Services of students selected for Research Assistant positions

  3. Psychology Students Services will work with Lab Managers to provide students with class enrollment code

  4. Students use class enrollment code to enroll in units

  Students will no longer need to submit the 199 form and must solely work with the labs for the class code to enroll in units. If you need support, please have your lab manager email psychsso@berkeley.edu so we can work with them on the enrollment processing.

  Fall 2024 Deadline(s) to enroll in 199 units:

  - September 11, 2024 (2 days before the add without a fee deadline)

  - September 16, 2024 (2 days before the final add deadline with a fee)

  For Labs & Faculty:

  The Psych Student Services office will be recruiting open postings for the Fall 2024 semester starting from July 2 through August 12th. Please submit our google form to let us know if your lab is hiring. In the google form you will be asked to submit a research proposal. This is the contract that will be given to students at the start of their Psych 199 academic units. Here is an example of a research proposal and another for your reference. We cannot post the google form publically, so be sure to email us at psychsso@berkeley.edu to receive the link. 

  After you have finalized your recruitment, we ask that you reach out to our office to follow up on steps to receive the enrollment code for your academic unit. Once students receive the enrollment code, it is their responsibility to enroll in the course. We do not entertain late adds for any semester. 

• Psych 197

  Field Studies in Psychology, 1-3 units, taken for P/NP.

  Students may volunteer or intern with an organization or agency whose program relates to the discipline of Psychology.  Psych 197 is also suitable for students working as research assistant in a lab outside of the Psychology department. Students will need to coordinate supervision by an onsite supervisor as well as seek guidance from a faculty member who will grade them at the end of the term. A final paper may be required. Although the Department does not place students in agencies, we encourage students to seek opportunities in the Weekly Opportunities bulletin or through other on-campus offices. Students engaged in an internship may receive either Psychology 197 units, compensation if the agency is willing to do so out of their funds, or both. Our office does not facilitate faculty sponsorship; therefore, students are also responsible for reaching out to UCB psych faculty to request their supervision of the Psych 197 units. Summer credit can only be earned in session D.

  Click here for the Psych 197 Application.

• Katherine Craig Swan Undergraduate Research Award and Endowment in Psych

  The Swan family has generously donated funds in memory of Katherine Craig Swan, a 1932 Berkeley graduate in Psychology, which will support undergraduate research in the Psychology Department. The budget for the proposal cannot exceed $500. This money will be awarded to the most deserving applicants on an annual competition. The faculty of the Undergraduate Awards Committee will review these award funding to the best proposals. Swan Research Awards will be acknowledged at the annual Commencement Ceremony of the Psychology Department.

  You can download a copy of the application here.

  Due Date: Friday, 11/29 at 4pm PST; submit by email to psychsso@berkeley.edu. Late applications will not be accepted.

   

Connection to the Honors Program

Declared Psychology major students who are on track to earn a 3.5 GPA in their major and a 3.3 GPA overall by graduation may apply for admission to the Honors program. Students can use their experience in a lab for Psych 199 credit to prepare them for the experimental research and design necessary to complete their own projects.

As a prerequisite to the Honors program, students are required to have already been a research apprentice in a lab prior to their application. A minimum of 2 units of UGIS 192 or Psych 199 are required before applications are approved. It is not required for students to earn Psych 199 or UGIS 192 in the laboratory of their intended Honors faculty sponsor.  If your research experience was completed off-campus or in a lab not affiliated with the Psychology department, your Psych 197 coursework might be the suitable foundation.  Please contact the advising team at psychsso@berkeley.edu for approval.

To check more information on the Honors Program, click here.

Applications

Forms are accessible from the Psychology website. Please see the Resources page to download the application and instructions.