Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Psych 194: Advanced Research

The Advanced Research course allows you to work as an undergraduate research assistant in current faculty research projects. This is an excellent opportunity to develop your research skills and to work with faculty personally. If you are interested in a research career or planning to go to graduate school, we recommend that you take advantage of this course. Try to become involved in a professor's research by your junior year. There are three areas of research available:

• 194A: Advanced Developmental Research
• 194B: Advanced Cognitive Research
• 194C: Advanced Social Research

These courses are not sequential. Each is 5 credits and may be repeated for credit. Students petition every quarter for credit.

How is the course structured?

You work with a faculty member on his or her research (students do not design the research project). Typically, you meet regularly in groups with a faculty research supervisor or graduate researcher who guides you in the research activities, discusses your progress on the project, and writes your narrative evaluations. You become involved in various research activities which might include reviewing the literature, designing studies, preparing experimental materials, conducting the actual empirical research, scoring, coding, and analyzing data, and producing an APA-style research report.

The specific content of the work and length of student commitment varies with each project, however, you should expect to work 15 hours per week. The narrative evaluation is based on your participation in the research and your research report.

How do I enroll?

It is recommended that you complete Psych 1, Psych 2, and Psych 3 before enrolling in Advanced Research. Individual faculty may have other requirements. Specific projects are posted on a bulletin board near the Psychology Office (273 Social Sciences 2). Check the board to see what is available or contact individual faculty members. Pick up the handout Steps to Enrolling in Psychology 194A, B, and C, and the petition to enroll, in the Psychology Office, Room 273, Social Sciences 2.

Requirements

• Most professors require that students complete Psych 3: Research Methods in Psychology, before enrolling in Psych 194.
• Students who conduct experiments using human research participants must attend a researcher training session on experiment protocol with their faculty sponsor at the beginning of each quarter.
• Available research projects are posted on a bulletin board outside the Psychology Office (Rm. 277, Social Sciences 2).