Psychological Science Programs and Opportunities

Undergraduate Opportunities

Research & Internship Programs 

On-campus Research: CMC Summer Research Program

• The CMC Summer Research Program provides research and intellectual opportunities to up to 20 CMC students on campus over the summer.

On- and Off-campus Internship Programs at CMC

• For internships and CMC sponsored internships, see the CMC Career Center and Services guide and see the CMC Career Services web site for Internship information.
• The community service internship program is one of the few, if only, internship programs available to freshman.
• The Kravis Leadership Institute has internship opportunities of particular relevance to Psychology majors.
• APA Undergraduate Research Opportunities and Internships

Claremont College's Neuroscience fellowships, internships, and research opportunities

• The 5 C’s offer summer internships to conduct research in labs, especially those off the 5 C campus. Professor Borowski is the head of the Neuroscience program (thomas.borowski@pitzer.edu) and is the contact person for the Neuroscience fellowships.
• Pomona College's List of Internship/Research opportunities for Neuroscience
  • Summer Opportunities
  • Minority Opportunities
• National Institute for Health Internships & Summer Program in the Neurological Sciences and Other Neuroscience Research Training and Funding Opportunities

Sequences to add to the Psych major

Data Science Sequence

• The data science sequence incorporates a number of Psychological Science courses in both the major and the sequence.
• It is a multidisciplinary program that focuses on the use of data to answer real-world questions.
• Completion of the sequence will be noted on students' transcript.

The Leadership Studies Program & Leadership Sequence

• The Leadership Studies Program is a multi-disciplinary program focusing on the nature of leadership and fellowship. It addresses the scientific, philosophical, and literary approaches to the relationship between leaders and followers in political, business, and other settings.
• The Leadership Studies Program and the Leadership Sequence are designed for students interested in pursuing a career involving the scholarly study and practice of leadership, who feel that an understanding of leadership would be helpful to them in another career, or who have a casual interest in the subject.
• Completion of the sequence will be noted on students' transcript.

The Legal Studies Program

• The intercollegiate and interdisciplinary Program in Legal Studies seeks to illuminate law from a liberal arts perspective, with ideas and methods from disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. It is also intended to help unify and increase the student's appreciation of these other disciplines by using them to study law as a central social phenomenon and repository of values. A premise of the Program in Legal Studies is that law, when approached from a liberal arts perspective, reveals a collection of magnificent intellectual and social structures that are too important - and too interesting - to be left entirely to professionals.
• The Program in Legal Studies is completed as part of a dual major.

Study Abroad

All CMC students are encouraged to consider applying for study abroad during their junior year. Psychological Science majors are encouraged to take advantage of CMC’s study abroad programs but need to consider the following:

1. Options for students planning to study abroad during the entire junior year:
   • Complete Psychology 109. Introduction to Statistics for Psychologists, or the equivalent, in the fall of the sophomore year; and the Research Methods courses (110-111) in the spring of the sophomore year.
   • In unusual circumstances, and with special permission of the department chair, students may take the Research Methods courses and Statistics in the same semester of the sophomore year.
2. Options for students planning to study abroad for one semester during the junior year
   • Students planning to do a one-semester senior thesis, rather than a two-semester empirical thesis may, with the permission of the department chair, complete the Research Methods courses in the fall semester of the senior year. This option allows students to study abroad for one semester during the junior year and complete Statistics in the other semester. However, it is still strongly recommended that all students complete the Research Methods courses before the senior year. Students with a one-semester thesis are not eligible for honors in psychology.
   • Take Statistics in the summer and the Research Methods courses during the semester they are on campus in the junior year.
   • With permission of the chair, students may complete Statistics while abroad. This option is only available at selected programs.

Students studying abroad during the (second semester of the) junior year must obtain a thesis reader before going abroad.

Graduate Programs

Ask your professors about graduate programs and what you need to do to be well qualified for these programs.

• Should I go straight to graduate school?
• Frequently Asked Questions about Graduate School

Accelerated MA Program in Psychology

CMC and The Claremont Graduate University (CGU) offer psychology and neuroscience majors the opportunity to obtain an accelerated MA degree in psychology from CGU one year after receiving the Bachelor of Arts degree from CMC. Under this program, CGU will grant up to 16 units of graduate credit (four courses) for advanced undergraduate courses taken while the student is an undergraduate at CMC. In addition to these courses, in their senior year program participants must take two graduate courses (eight units) at CGU, including a core course and a four unit course in either statistics or methodology. After entering CGU, program participants must complete at least 32 units (eight courses) for the MA degree. Students must formally apply to and be admitted into the School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences at CGU. Applicants must be majors or dual majors in psychology or neuroscience, who will complete a one-year empirical research senior thesis in one of those fields during the senior year. Students interested in the accelerated MA program in psychology are encouraged to apply no later than the spring semester of the junior year. The application can be completed online at: http://www.applyweb.com. Students should make sure to note that they are from one of the undergraduate Claremont Colleges and request a fee waiver. The GRE is required. For further information, contact the Program Coordinator of the School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences at Claremont Graduate University.

Career Opportunities

Psychology majors have an excellent skill set that can be applied to many different careers. Below we have some materials to help you identify and articulate your skills as well as a listing of careers that use those skills:

• The CMC Psychology Faculty have designed a brochure to help you define your skill set and provide suggestions for careers with a Psychology Degree: What can I do with a BA in Psychology?
• Psychology Careers Website: careersinpsychology.org

CMC Career Services Center

1. Visit CMC Career Services Center or email: careerservices@claremontmckenna.edu
2. Career Services has many materials to help you with your resume, cover letters, interviewing skills, etc. as well as identify potential job opportunities
3. Meet the Career Services staff here

Important info for International Students

Psychological Science is an approved ICE STEM major that allows international students to extend their VISAs (https://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2011/05/visa-extensions).