The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences offers many opportunities for education and experience both on and off campus. These include a wide range of courses, several specialized programs, study beyond the UMass campus, and social and academic organizations. Please explore the links on this page for more information about these opportunities.
Departmental Honors
The Departmental Honors program is intended for the serious psychology student who seeks challenging course work and research training, along with the opportunity for individual mentoring by a faculty member.
Advancing Diversity in Research and Practice Program (ADRAP)
The Advancing Diversity in Research and Practice program’s mission is to promote diversity in the field of psychology by increasing the diversity of the next generation of researchers and practitioners in psychology, and by fostering interest in research and practice with diverse populations.
Developmental Disabilities and Human Services Program (DDHS)
The department has partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS) to offer a letter of specialization in Developmental Disabilities and Human Services (DDHS). The DDHS specialization offers undergraduates across disciplines the opportunity to obtain the skills needed for careers in the disability and broader human services field.
LEAD at Charles River: Linking Employment to Academic Development
Are you looking for ways to gain work experience while balancing academics? PBS is excited to launch a new program to help enrich the training of our majors. In the LEAD Program you will spend a semester taking psychology courses on the Charles River campus and we will help you find exciting internship sites in Newton and the greater Boston area. The Charles River Campus of UMass Amherst presents a unique opportunity for student to secure internships in the Metro West Boston area, an area well known as an epicenter for employment opportunities in mental health, medicine, science and research, all key areas of interest to our psychology majors.
For more information contact Prof. Metevier at @email
Peer Mentoring Program: Supporting Peer Academic Commitment & Excellence (SPACE)
Apply to join SPACE as a freshman or sophomore mentee or a junior or senior mentor. Build a connection while having fun learning about opportunities in the PBS department as well as across campus. Mentees and mentors are matched by common interests and goals.
Research Assistant Mentoring Program (RAMP)
This program (RAMP) aims to introduce psychology majors, especially those from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in our field (e.g. first generation college students and students of color), to laboratory research early in their college careers. Research mentees will register for a 1 credit research assistantship (Psych 398B) that will primarily involve attending weekly lab meetings and shadowing a junior, senior, or graduate student mentor already established in a lab.
Diversity Committee Undergraduate Mentoring Program
The Graduate Student Diversity Committee Undergraduate Mentoring Program matches undergraduate students with a graduate student or postdoc mentor. The mentor and mentee meet throughout the year to discuss things like getting involved in research, work-life balance, study skills, time management, navigating school with an underrepresented identity, and applying for internships, jobs, and graduate school.
Diversity Science Letter of Specialization
The Diversity Science Letter of Specialization allows students to developing expertise in research and theory examining diverse influences on the human experience.