In the Master of Arts program, students can earn degree credit while obtaining practical experience by working with autistic children, teaching self-management skills, or working at one of the mental health facilities in the metropolitan area. Students can also gain experience in the pharmacological, cognitive, physiological, operant, social, personality, and clinical research areas of psychology. Depending on the student's area of specialization, specific on-site training is available in counseling and patient care, psychological testing, and research methodology.

Field work and short-term internships that provide training in applied areas of psychology are available in city, county, and private organizations, such as the Alexandria, Va., Community Mental Health Center programs; the Montgomery County, MD, Department of Addiction, Victim, and Mental Health Services; the District of Columbia Rape Crisis Center; Big Brothers; and patient care and rehabilitation programs of area hospitals.

The Psychology Department has a close working relationship with basic and applied research programs at the National Institutes of Health, where students can participate in programs on pain management, neuropsychological assessment, and brain mechanisms in learning and memory. Research opportunities are also available at the Georgetown University Hospital and School of Medicine, The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and other area institutions.