Department of Political Science

Research Apprenticeship

 

The Department of Political Science invites talented majors to work directly with a departmental mentor for the winter and spring quarters. Each student will collaborate with a faculty member or doctoral candidate on the mentor’s own research project in the winter and spring quarters. Under the guidance of the mentor the student will write a seminar paper of approximately 20 pages in the spring quarter. Applications received by the end of the fourth week of fall quarter will receive first consideration, but positions will remain open until filled.

This year our mentors are Ph.D. candidates in the Department of Political Science. The faculty member in charge is the Department Chair, Philip Roeder.

Eligibility:  Participants must be majors in political science with junior or senior standing and a GPA of 3.5 or higher in all political science courses taken at UCSD.  Individual projects may require other prerequisite training, such as Political Science 30. (Please read each project description carefully.)

Time commitment:  During the winter and spring quarters each student must commit to 12 hours per week as a research assistant; during the spring quarter each must also participate in the weekly research seminar and contribute the completion of the jointly authored research paper.

Course credit:  Students enroll in POLI 198RA in the winter and spring quarters and in POLI 194RA in the spring quarter.  Students will receive 4 units for each quarter in POLI 198RA and 4 units for completing the course requirements of POLI 194RA.

Please note that POLI 198RA is taken on a Pass/Not Pass basis and POLI 194RA is taken for a grade. By university regulations no more than one-quarter of an undergraduate’s units toward graduation can be taken on a P/NP basis and no more than two 199s can be counted toward the Political Science major.

How to Apply:  Read the project descriptions. [Click here for project descriptions]

[1] Download and complete the preference form. [Click here for preference form]

[2] Prepare a cover letter and resume. [Click here for guidelines about the cover letter]

[3] Print your academic record.

[4] E-mail the completed form with a cover letter, resume, and copy of your academic record to the Mentor of each project to which you are applying.

Deadline for First Consideration: Friday, November 6, 2015.