VASDHS/UCSD Psychology Internship Program

Our Program

For over 40 years, the UCSD/VA Psychology Internship Training Program has been training advanced graduate students in clinical psychology to become the next generation of psychologists. We are one of the largest internship programs in the country. Our internship program has been APA-accredited since 1986. We are also a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC).

Our psychology internship program provides rigorous and comprehensive scientist-practitioner training across a diverse range of settings and patient populations. We offer training in evidence-based practices with serious mental illness, PTSD, substance abuse, eating disorders, and neuropsychology, among others. Our rotations include both in- and outpatient experiences, with training opportunities across the lifespan, from children to older adults.

The psychology internship training program is well integrated into the many training programs within the VA and UCSD Department of Psychiatry, affording psychology interns the opportunity to work alongside other trainees including psychiatry and psychology residents and fellows. Our large program affords a myriad of training resources but there is still a strong sense of community and collaboration as our trainees progress toward independence. Our faculty are strongly committed to training the next generation of psychologists. Interns graduating from our program have been highly competitive and have gone on to post-doctoral fellowships and often to academic faculty positions. Interns are supervised by approximately 40 licensed psychologists, most of whom have ongoing research programs in addition to their clinical work.

Applicant Selection

We especially seek to recruit a diverse internship class as a reflection of our strong commitment to achieve excellence and diversity among our faculty, staff, and trainees. We are interested in applicants who are committed to the highest standards of scholarship and professional activities, and to the development of a climate that supports equality and diversity. We take great pride in our program and our graduates and their professional successes. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you success in meeting your academic and training goals.

For more information on the accreditation status of our program, contact the APA:

2025-2026 Training Year Application Materials

Applicant Manual

Important Dates