Self-Touching Mind (TM) Undergraduate PSYC - MatarAt — CSUF - College of Humanities & Social Science

The Self-Touching Mind Undergraduate Psychology Internship (STMUPI) provides students with structured, hands-on experience supporting psychology education while exploring the practical application of psychological principles. Interns assist with instructional activities, curriculum support, guided observation, and reflective learning related to human behavior, personality, motivation, and change. Under close faculty supervision, students develop professional skills including ethical awareness, communication, critical thinking, and leadership, while maintaining clearly defined non-clinical roles.

Learning Outcomes  

By the end of the internship, students will be able to:

Apply foundational psychological concepts (e.g., personality, motivation, behavior, and change) to educational and real-world scenarios.
Demonstrate professional and ethical conduct, including appropriate boundaries, confidentiality awareness, and responsibility within non-clinical roles.
Support psychology instruction through effective communication, collaboration, and engagement with students and faculty.
Engage in reflective practice by evaluating personal learning, professional growth, and the application of psychological theory to practice.
Develop professional readiness skills, including time management, leadership, critical thinking, and interpersonal effectiveness in academic settings.

Training  

Training Methods Employed
Faculty-Guided Observation & Modeling
Interns observe faculty-led instruction, demonstrations, and applied discussions to understand how psychological principles are translated into educational practice. Faculty explicitly model professional communication, ethical boundaries, and applied reasoning.

Structured Mentorship & Supervision Meetings
Interns participate in regular supervision sessions with faculty to review experiences, ask questions, and integrate theory with practice. These meetings emphasize reflection, ethical awareness, and professional development within clearly defined non-clinical roles.

Experiential Learning Activities
Interns engage in supervised, hands-on tasks such as assisting with lesson preparation, facilitating small-group discussions, or supporting learning activities that apply psychological concepts to real-life contexts.

Reflective Practice & Written Integration
Interns complete guided reflection journals or brief written assignments that connect coursework, observation, and experiential learning to psychological theory and personal professional growth.

Tasks/Duties  

Intern Tasks, Activities, and Learning Outcome Alignment

Interns assist with course preparation and instructional materials (such as slides, handouts, and learning resources), supporting the application of foundational psychological concepts (LO1), collaborative instructional support (LO3), and professional readiness skills (LO5).

Interns support classroom and small-group learning activities under faculty supervision, strengthening applied understanding of psychological principles (LO1), ethical and professional conduct (LO2), and effective communication (LO3).

Through guided observation of teaching and applied demonstrations, interns develop insight into how psychological theory is translated into practice while reinforcing ethical awareness and professional boundaries (LO1, LO2).

Interns engage in reflective practice, including maintaining journals or completing written integration assignments, to evaluate learning experiences and connect theory to application (LO4, LO1).

Interns attend regular supervision and mentorship meetings with faculty, fostering ethical awareness, reflective learning, and professional development (LO2, LO4, LO5).

Interns assist with curriculum development and educational design projects, applying psychological knowledge while building collaboration and professional skills (LO1, LO3, LO5).

Interns model professional communication, academic integrity, and responsible conduct in all academic and program-related interactions, reinforcing ethical standards and readiness for professional environments (LO2, LO5).

Interns support program-related administrative and organizational tasks relevant to psychology education, strengthening collaboration, time management, and leadership skills (LO3, LO5).

Interns participate in skill-building workshops and trainings focused on ethics, communication, leadership, and applied psychology foundations (LO2, LO5).

At all times, interns maintain clearly defined non-clinical roles, refraining from counseling, assessment, diagnosis, or therapeutic intervention, ensuring ethical compliance and professional boundaries (LO2).