Undergraduate students do not need to wait for Junior or Senior Independent Work to engage in research in the Department of Psychology. In fact, many First Years and Sophomores get involved in research early by joining and contributing to ongoing science in a faculty member’s lab.
Why start research early?
Working in a lab allows you to gain lab skills and become familiar with a research topic, which can directly translate into higher quality independent work. This path is especially useful for students who are interested in a career in science, but considering the numerous transferable skills that research experience equips students with, we encourage all students to consider getting involved.
How can you get involved?
If you are interested in early research opportunities, the first step is to look carefully through the Department of Psychology faculty web pages and read about their research interests. Then, reach out to the faculty member and meet with them to get a better sense of their work and whether their labs have availability and/or funding.
As a sophomore, you may also consider applying to enroll in the Psychology Research Experience course sequence (PSY 230 and PSY 231).
- To apply, students should identify a potential faculty mentor in the Department of Psychology to discuss potential research opportunities. Once a suitable mentor has agreed to serve as a mentor for the entire two-course sequence, students should forward this email confirmation to the course instructor.
- Only students intending to major in Psychology, or who have permission of the instructors, are permitted to enroll in the course.
Please note that PSY 230 and 231 do not count towards degree requirements in Psychology.
If you are interested in learning more or have additional questions, please contact the Department of Psychology Undergraduate Program Manager.