Resources for Psychology Students and Graduates

As a psychology student, you have many resources at your fingertips. Whether you’re struggling with studying, need an internship, or want to cultivate a professional network, there are dedicated organizations to help you succeed.

With multiple active professional organizations, clubs, and skilled psychologists ready to mentor you, psychology students and graduates can tap into many resources to learn more, grow faster, and master new skills. Find the best resources to help you succeed below.

College offers a wealth of opportunities to join clubs, organizations, and subject-specific activities. By joining clubs focusing on psychology and closely related subjects, you can connect with fellow students, broaden your professional network, and explore career paths. Some of the most popular clubs and organizations for psychology students include:

Experiential learning, or learning by doing, allows you to grow in confidence and gain hands-on experience applying psychological principles in a supervised environment. While many degrees in psychology require an internship, accessing additional volunteer or research opportunities, mentorship, or internships can help you build experience in diverse settings.

Research and internships allow you to work on real-world problems and gain valuable experience in a lab or clinical settings. These internships may include travel funds to work on international research or other global collaborations.

You can explore opportunities at the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers, find diverse grants from the American Psychological Association (APA) and internships, or find state-specific grants and scholarships to conduct research. You can also check with your college to see if there are undergraduate research grants like those offered by Iowa State University.

Volunteering can give you valuable experience and the opportunity to explore various settings in the psychology field or travel globally. Typically, you’ll need to pay for these experiences. For example, Vocational Impact offers psychology and mental health volunteer programs in Ghana, South Africa, and India.

Go Overseas and Volunteer World are two other organizations that offer volunteer opportunities in psychology worldwide, including countries like Belize, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, and Fiji. You can filter by type of experience or location. Choose opportunities that last 1-24 weeks and cost as little as $270.

Mentorship programs allow you to gain insight into different avenues of psychology, explore opportunities, and strengthen your experience after graduation. APA created a mentor task force to connect psychology graduate students and early career psychologists with more experienced senior psychologists.

You can explore a range of mentoring relationships with diverse scientific and professional interests. Mentee and mentorship positions are open to all APA members.

The right resources can give you the tools to master complex material, explore new topics, and maximize your time. The six psychology-specific resources below can help you learn terminology, familiarize yourself with current issues, and prepare for professional licensure.

Once you’ve graduated, professional organizations provide resources, continuing education, networking opportunities, and even research grants. Staying active in one or more professional organizations for psychologists can help you connect with colleagues, find jobs, and stay updated on emerging psychological research.