Academic Opportunities

Research

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...

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 (external link) or stop by 5 Durant Hall.

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, please go to the GROUP website (external link).

Designing your own Research

NOTE: 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.

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 5 Durant Hall.

Research and Writing Resources

These books are recommended by Dr. Terri Bimes, one of the coordinators of the Political Science Honors Program. Many of these books can be found at one of the campus libraries (external link).

  • Haas Scholars Undergraduate Research Guide
    http://research.berkeley.edu/haas_scholars/documents.html (external link)
  • Kate L. Turabian, Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Univ. of Chicago Press). 7th.
  • W. Phillips Shively, The Craft of Political Research (Prentice Hall)
  • Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research (Univ. 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)

Indentifying 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.

Publish Your Research

POLITICA - Currently defunct!

POLITICA (external link) 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.

The Berkeley Undergraduate Journal

The Berkeley Undergraduate Journal (external link) 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 (external link) of campus-wide research programs or visit the Office of Undergraduate Research (external link).