Declared psychology majors enrolled in Supervised Field Placement (PSY 1900) earn credit for volunteer work in a supervised setting which has been approved by the Department of Psychology. The purpose of this course is to provide practical experience related to other coursework in the department, and to help students determine a career path to pursue.  The Psychology Advising Office has an approved list of sites for PSY 1900.  Sites on this list are the only places where students may "intern" and receive PSY credit for their work.

Please be aware that because of the nature of psychological or clinical social service work, undergraduate psychology students are not permitted to provide any direct client/patient services. The provision of psychological or counseling services requires a graduate level degree due to state licensing and healthcare provider regulations.  You should not expect to have unsupervised client/patient contact or to be trained to provide any type of counseling or therapy services as part of a field placement.

This opportunity is particularly beneficial when determining if you truly are interested in the day-to-day workings of a particular field.  If you are interested in pursuing PSY 1900, be sure you meet the pre-requisites by viewing this chart.  Once you determine that an internship/field placement is an appropriate choice for you, review the Steps to Securing a PSY 1900 Supervised Field Placement.

How our students benefit from their field placement experience:

"Before this semester, I was completely set on becoming a medical social worker.  Now, I am considering a career in higher education."

"This experience has influenced my decision to enroll in Pitt's MSW program, concentrating in mental health.  At this site I have seen how negatively society can treat this population and it has made me want to advocate for them as a social worker."

"This experience has taught me how rewarding it is to work in the hospital.  In the future I think I want to work in the health care field, and I want to work with the elderly."