UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
for Political Science Majors
From all accounts, getting into research is one of
the more rewarding experiences students can have in college. Research
can open doors - academic or career - that you hadn't imagined before.
Delve into a topic and seek answers to questions of great interest to
you. Establish an easy camaraderie with one of the faculty. Here's how...
Engage in Faculty-led Research
URAP. Apprentice with a faculty member in the Undergraduate Research
Apprentice Program (URAP). The URAP program provides opportunities for
you to work with faculty on some cutting-edge research. Working closely
with faculty, you can cultivate professional relationships, enhance your
research skills, and deepen your knowledge and skills in areas of special
interest. Applications are online. For a complete listing and description
of research projects, check out the
URAP website or stop by 301 Campbell. Deadline:
September 3, 2008.
GROUP. The Geballe Research Opportunities for Undergraduates Program
(GROUP) pairs faculty members and undergraduates in summer research projects.
Undergraduates awarded the apprenticeships receive $2500 for the summer.
For program details, click here.
Deadline: March 2009 (tba).
Please note that these courses require a significant level of departmental approval. See links provided for important details.
Independent Study Courses. Think about your own study, perhaps as an independent study or an Honors Thesis. In such cases, a faculty mentor can help you stay focused and develop skills in asking and answering research questions. Independent study courses within the Political Science department are numbered 99 (lower-division undergraduates) or 199 (upper division undergraduates). Courses vary from one to four units, depending on the extensiveness of the project, and are typically taken on a Pass/Not Pass basis. During the regular academic year, forms are due the Friday of the 3rd week of classes. For additional details, visit the department's Independent Study web site.
Honors Thesis. About 10- 15% of Political Science majors pursue an Honors Thesis. If you have a strong interest in a particular topic and would like the experience of researching and writing a long research paper, consider writing an Honors Thesis. Students who write an honors thesis enroll in a year-long seminar, PS H190A and B, and work independently with a faculty sponsor. Political Science majors who have 1) completed 90 units; 2) at least graded upper-division Political Science courses at UC Berkeley; 3) have an overall GPA of 3.3 and a minimum of 3.5 in the major are eligible to apply. For specifics, please refer to the Honors web site and consult with a Political Science undergraduate adviser. Deadline: July 31, 2008.
The Haas Scholars Program. The Robert & Colleen Haas Scholars Program funds financial aid eligible, academically talented undergraduates to engage in a sustained research, field-study or creative project in the summer before and during their senior year at Berkeley. Each year, twenty Haas Scholars are selected from all disciplines and departments across the University on the basis of the merit and originality of their project proposals. For more information, call (510) 643-5374, go to the website, or visit the program office at 345 Campbell Hall. Deadline: February 2009 (tba).
Research and Writing Resources. Check out this list of resources compiled by Dr. Terri Bimes. Many of these books can be found at the campus library.
Research and Writing books:
Kate L. Turabian, Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (University of Chicago Press). 7th edition
W. Phillips Shively, The Craft of Political Research (Prentice Hall)
Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research (University of Chicago Press)
Gregory C. Scott and Stephen M. Garrison, The Political Science Student Writer's Manual (Prentice Hall)
Stephen Van Evera, Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science (Cornell University Press)
Janet Johnson, Richard Joslyn, and H.T. Reynolds, Political Science Research Methods (CQ Press)
Michael Corbett, Research Methods in Political Science (Thompson)
Stella Theodoulo and Rory O'Brien, eds., Methods for Political Inquiry (Prentice Hall)
John Creswall, Research Design (Sage)
James Carlson and Mark Hyde, Doing Empirical Political Research (Houghton Mofflin)
Links:
Haas Scholars Undergraduate Research Guide
Identify Sources of Funding
Various units on campus offer or administer grants, scholarships,
and awards for purposes ranging from: introductory and senior thesis research,
study abroad and research related travel, community and university service
projects, and merit based awards acknowledging outstanding scholarship.
For more information about these funding opportunities, check out the
listings below.
The Nelson W. Polsby
Grant for Public Affairs Research
Haas Scholars
Program
McNair Scholars Program
SURF: Summer Undergraduate
Research Fellowships (L&S)
Publish your Research
POLITICA is an academic journal primarily aimed at undergraduate political science communities and related fields. It solicits both original student essays and faculty articles on topics broadly political. A single volume is published once a semester and distributed throughout the academic community. Defunct for the 2007-2008 academic year!
The Berkeley Undergraduate
Journal is dedicated to publishing the academic work of undergraduates
from the Humanities, Social Sciences, and related fields at the University
of California, Berkeley. Essays are selected on the basis of academic
content, general interest, and clarity of writing. Papers should be 15-60
pages long, on topics that would be of interest to the generally well-educated
reader. For submission instructions, applications to the all-undergraduate
Editorial Board, or further information, call (510) 643-5374 or email
buj@learning.berkeley.edu.
For additional research opportunities, check out this summary
of campus-wide research programs or visit the Office
of Undergraduate Research.
Last updated 6/19/08