Hands-on experience is a clear path to success
Whether you are planning to attend graduate school in psychology or will seek employment after completing your BA or BS in psychology, you should consider some of the advantages of experiential learning while you are an undergraduate. These opportunities can help you:
- Learn first-hand about a field of work you may have only read or heard about
- Gain specific experience and skills that might be applied to later paid employment
- Acquire references for graduate school or employment applications who can document success-related attributes such as reliability, diligence, independence, and professionalism.
Experiential learning may be referred to by several different terms- i.e, volunteering, internship or practicum. Whatever the title of the experience your decision about where to pursue your experiential learning depends on your own interests, goals, and career plans.
A partial list of hospitals, health care facilities, social service organizations, and other facilities which may offer such opportunities in the Iowa City and surrounding areas is available at the link below.
Volunteer and internship opportunities
Common Iowa City Volunteer Placements
Below are some organizations to contact about finding volunteer/internship opportunities in the Iowa City area. Here are a few helpful suggestions:
Check their website to see if there is information about volunteering or other contact information.
Keep in mind that some places require training or background checks.
These types of services are available in most communities. If you intend to volunteer at home over the summer, you can use this list to generate search ideas.
Before you begin, it’s important to think about:
What do you want to get from the experience?
What kinds of people do you want to work with? Is there a specific issue that you are really interested in?
Also, think about intersectionality. For example, people with mental illness may also be facing homelessness, may be dealing with substance abuse, may be experiencing family conflicts, and may be involved in the legal system. Recognizing the complexities of human life may help you expand the scope of places that will allow you to gain the experience you want.
Think about the details. Do you need to find something that’s walkable or can you get to a location that’s miles away?
Do you want to get credit for your experience? Ask your advisor how you can!
Children and Families Focused Social Service Agencies
Access to Independence
ARC of Southeast Iowa
Chatham Oaks Residential Care Facility
Community and Family Resources
Four Oaks
HACAP Family Services
Horizons
Mayor’s Youth Empowerment Program
Miracles in Motion
Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County
Ronald McDonald House
Reach for Your Potential
REM Iowa
United Action for Youth
Adult Focused Social Service Agencies
Access to Independence
ARC of Southeast Iowa
Alzheimer’s Association
Chatham Oaks Residential Care Facility
CommUnity Crisis Services
Community and Family Resources
Domestic Violence Intervention Program
Guidelink
HACAP Family Services
Hope Lodge
ICARE
Iowa City Hospice
Iowa Legal Aid
Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity
Johnson County Senior
Johnson County Social Services
Lutheran Social Services of Iowa
Miracles in Motion
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County
Rape Victims Advocacy Program
Reach for Your Potential
REM Iowa
Shelter House
Systems Unlimited
Table to Table
Tanager Place
Corrections Related Sites
Iowa City Police Department
Inside Out Reentry Community
Medical Classification and Treatment Center
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
Health Care Related Sites
Hope Lodge
Iowa City Free Medical Clinic
Iowa City Hospice
Mercy Hospital
Ronald McDonald House
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
VA Medical Center
Additionally, students may want to visit the Pomerantz Career Center to discuss ideas with a career advisor or peruse the following websites:
www.idealist.org
www.volunteermatch.org
volunteer.unitedwayjwc.org
You may be able to earn course credit for your volunteer work or receive transcript notation for completing an internship via CCP:1201 Academic Internship or CCP:1005 Internship in Liberal Arts. Students interested in either option should visit the Pomerantz Career Center for more information.
Enrollment options
Internship in Liberal Arts and Sciences CCP:1005
This is a zero-credit hour course offered to students who would like to have a transcript notation for their internship. The work must be relevant to psychology but could occur in many different settings. Because students do not earn credit, their work may be either paid or unpaid. The Career Center can help students clarify their career objectives, select related internships, and complete the required application materials. Each internship lasts a full semester and can be full-time or part-time. Internships are available throughout the United States, and some international appointments are available, but many opportunities are also available locally. To qualify for an internship, a student must have completed at least 12 s.h. in psychology and have an overall GPA of at least 2.0. Students interested in having their job/volunteer work registered as an internship should see the Career Center (C310 Pomerantz Center).
This is a credit earning internship course offered through the Pomerantz Career Center. Because students earn credit through this internship, all work must be unpaid. The internship must include at least 80% professional work and be related to their career interests or Psychology major. The Career Center can help students clarify their career objectives, select related internships, and complete the required application materials. Each internship lasts a full semester (for a minimum of 6 weeks), can be full-time or part-time and is repeatable for up to 3 credits. Internships are available throughout the United States, and some international appointments are available, but many opportunities are also available locally. To qualify for an internship, a student must have completed at least 12 s.h. at the University of Iowa and have a minimum UI GPA of at least 2.0. Students interested in having their volunteer work registered as an internship should see the Career Center (C310 Pomerantz Center).