Conducting and participating in research is a great way to show off your skills in psychology.  This is especially good for students who wish to apply for graduate school in research psychology (social or cognitive psychology, neuroscience, etc).

Join Psi Chi or the Psychology Club at UC Merced, which regularly participates in research projects

• • Check out the UC Merced chapters of Psi Chi and Psychology Club or you can contact the faculty adviser, Jason Emory (jemory@ucmerced.edu), more information

Become a research assistant for a professor at UC Merced

• • Click here to check out open RA positions in psychology (scroll down a bit to find them)

  • UC Merced Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center

 Conduct research as part of the Engineering Service Learning class at UC Merced​

• • Engineering Service Learning is actually open to all students (and is popular among psychology and cognitive science majors).  The program gets students together to conduct and publish independent research in a topic of their choosing.  Click here to find out more information.

Conduct an independent research project​​

• • An independent research project can be conducted on any topic of your choosing.  Simply contact a faculty member and ask them to be your adviser.  You can work on the project for college credit, or simply conduct it in order to present at research conferences.  This option offers you the most freedom to research whatever you desire.

Apply for undergraduate research opportunities around the U.S.

• Click here to find a listing of undergraduate research internships that are available across the country.

• You can also check out this list of paid internship opportunities in psychology research.  You can also check out this list of paid internships in the field of Neuroscience.

• UC San Diego offers 8-week programs in Academic Research Success every summer.

Paid Internships

Post-baccalaureate Jobs

Receive training in relationship counseling from the Gottman Institute

Internships and volunteering in clinical or social-welfare settings is a great way to show off your interpersonal skills.  This is especially good for students who wish to apply to graduate school in clinical psychology or counseling.

You can volunteer at any community service center.  These can include childcare centers, senior centers, or mental health centers.  Some local options are listed below.  You can contact any of them and ask if they are accepting volunteers.

• • Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) at UC Merced

  • Volunteer for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

  • Work with people with developmental disabilities at the  Central Valley Regional Center  (Merced)

  • Help support women and children who have been the victims of domestic abuse at the  Haven's Women's Center of Stanislaus

  • Valley Crisis Center    (volunteer page)

  • Children's Crisis Center of Stanislaus County

  • Receive training/education in mental health areas at Stanislaus County Behavioral Health Center

For a full-time position working with those with mental illness.  These facilities usually require that psychology students to have completed at least 60 undergraduate credit units.

• • Rainbow Valley Foster Care in Merced

    • Group home for at-risk youth (scroll to bottom of webpage for employment opportunity)

  • Central Valley Autism Project

    • Offers behavioral analysis treatment for children with Autism

  • Aspiranet

    • Hosts multiple mental health programs working with children and families

    • Also provides  volunteer opportunities

  • Genesis Behavior Center

    • Trains and employees behavioral specialists to work with children with autism spectrum disorders.  Centers are in Merced, Turlock, Modesto, and Fresno.

    • Students who are psychology majors with at least 60 units  can apply.

  • Autism Learning Partners

    • Trains and employees behavioral specialists to work with children with autism spectrum disorders.  Centers are in Modesto, Fresno and (soon to be) Turlock.

    • Students who are psychology majors with at least 60 units  can apply.

  • Stanislaus County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services

    • Offers multiple mental health treatments to people and families in Modesto

  • California Psychiatric Transitions Mental Health Rehabilitation Center

    • A 100-bed inpatient facility for those recovering from mental illness

  • Doctor's Behavioral Health Center in Modesto

    • A 67-bed inpatient facility for those recovering from mental illness and drug abuse

  • Mental Health Services for Merced

    • Includes Mental Health Facility (at 3090 M St.) and Alcohol Treatment Program (at 3305 G St.)

  • Valley Mountain Regional Center (Modesto)

    • Offers disability services and support to adults in Modesto (at 1820 Blue Gum Ave, Modesto, CA 95358)

You can often find internship opportunities on Handshake and Indeed.com.

Volunteering in any way that helps the community is a great way to show your passion for community intervention and helping others.  

Local Volunteer Organizations

• Merced County Community Action Agency

  • This agency offers many community intervention programs that you can volunteer at, including a homeless shelter, women's shelter, preschool programs and resources for people who have HIV/AIDS

• Merced County Homeless Shelter

• Merced County Food Bank  and the  UC Merced Food Pantry

• United Way of Merced County

  • This program puts volunteers in contact with children that they can help tutor or otherwise support.

• Become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in the foster care system.  You can do this through CASA for Children in Merced or Stanislaus counties.  This involves helping children and families navigate the court system and county services.  All volunteers are trained and well supported throughout this process.  Must be 21 or older to apply.

  • Merced CASA for Children

  • Stanislaus CASA for Children

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

  • Volunteers help support, guide and be role models to children and teens

• Planned Parenthood

  • Volunteers are often needed to escort women to and from Planned Parenthood, as well as helping to support people who seek prenatal services.

Internships help train the workers of tomorrow by giving them real, on-the-job experience.  Most of the internships listed below are not necessarily related with psychology, but can still provide valuable opportunities and learning experiences for psychology students.

• • Student Success Internships (SSI) Program at UC Merced: The SSI program provides undergraduate students an opportunity to participate in a meaningful, career-driven internship experiences across campus departments. Internship options are conveniently located on campus or surrounding areas, and open to UC Merced undergraduate students interested in applying. 

    • Open internship opportunities at UC Merced

  • CATLink: One-stop access to hundreds of jobs and internships being promoted exclusively with current UC Merced students and alumni.

  • Blum Center for Developing Economies: The aim of this multi-campus initiative is to advance research and education to alleviate the burdens of poverty in the short term, and to end world poverty.