Research Apprenticeship Program

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. Research projects may require other prerequisite training, such as Political Science 30(D). Please read each project description carefully.

*If you are a new transfer student, please indicate your cumulative GPA from your previous institution and anticipated Fall Quarter GPA when completing the application form.

Below are frequently asked questions about the Research Apprenticeship Program, and their corresponding answers.

1. What are the requirements to participate in the RAP?
   1. Participants must be majors in Political Science with junior or senior standing and a GPA of 3.5 or higher at UCSD. Research projects may require other prerequisite training, such as Political Science 30(D). Please read each project description carefully.
2. Are there exceptions made to these requirements?
   1. The Graduate mentors are ultimately the individuals who decide which students are selected for their project(s), so there may be some leniency on the requirements depending on what the graduate mentor is seeking. Please reach out directly to the graduate mentor with your specific questions and concerns.
3. What GPA should I use if I am a new transfer student with no UCSD GPA?
   1. As you are applying with a 0.0 GPA (and the graduate mentors are made aware of this situation), please use your cumulative pre-UCSD GPA (e.g. the one from community college, or your previous university) on the form, and consider including the specific grades you earned in your Political Science courses. 
4. Can I participate in the program before I have upper-division standing?
   1. No. This program is for students who have at least Junior (minimum 90 quarter units) standing. 
5. What courses do I enroll in in order to participate in the Research Apprenticeship Program?
   1. Students enroll in POLI 198RA in the Winter quarter and POLI 198RA in the Spring quarter, for 4 quarter units each. Students also have the option to enroll in POLI 199 (also for 4 quarter units) in the Spring quarter if they want to write a research paper on the topic they have been working on with their mentor.
6. Are these courses allowable for the major?
   1. Yes, POLI 198RA and POLI 199 are both allowable for credit toward the Political Science majors (except for students in the BA/MIA joint degree program), in the Upper Division Elective category of the major, as long as the course is taken for 4 quarter units and a “Pass” grade is earned. Both courses may be taken up to two times.
7. Do I need to be a Political Science major to participate in this program?
   1. Yes, participants must be majors in political science.
8. Can I participate if I am a Political Science minor?
   1. It is possible to be a Political Science minor and take part in the program; however, Political Science majors will be prioritized.
9. What are the requirements in order to earn a pass grade in POLI 198RA?
   1. Specific requirements are set by the graduate mentor’s expectations of their research assistants. The following list is a general example of what a student would need to do to pass the course: Attend meetings set by the graduate mentor, communicate needs, concerns, and project task updates, fulfill the tasks and responsibilities set by the graduate mentor, work 12 hours/week, and develop research and analytical skills throughout the course of the program.
10.  What are some examples of past projects that students have worked on?
    1. Here are the projects from previous years:
       1. 2020-2021
       2. 2019-2020
       3. 2018-2019
11. Who are the program mentors?
    1. The program mentors are advanced PhD students in the Department of Political Science. Here is the list of mentors for the 2025-2026 year.
12. In what ways will I help the graduate mentor with their project?
    1. Students help the graduate mentor in a variety of ways including, but not limited to: finding and reviewing peer-reviewed articles, writing literature reviews, data analysis and “clean up”, primary analysis, entry-level coding, creating datasets for analysis, structuring research papers, writing memos, graphing, and any other tasks that the graduate mentor deems necessary and/or wants the student to challenge themselves with. 
13. What is the time commitment?
    1. Research assistants work approximately 12 hours per week throughout the quarter. 
14. What are the benefits of participating as a Research Assistant in the Research Apprenticeship Program?
    1. There are numerous benefits to participating in the program; many students have shared their feedback in the section titled “Student Feedback About The Research Apprenticeship Program.”
15. If I am not eligible to participate in the Research Apprenticeship Program or selected by a mentor, is there another similar program in the Department where I could work closely with a faculty member or a graduate student?
    1. Students can seek to participate in Independent Study (POLI 199), and/or find opportunities on their own through Handshake, the REAL Portal, the Faculty Mentorship Program, and the Academic Internship Program.
16. What if I don’t like the project for which I am chosen? Can I change at any time?
    1. It is rare that a student is able to switch to a different project, as students are interviewed by the graduate student in charge of the project and chosen to be part of the team. We recommend you reflect on what you are not enjoying about the project and discuss what can be adjusted with your graduate mentor. 
17. What is the timeline of the Research Apprenticeship Program?
    1. The timeline of the program can be found under the dropdown banner titled “Timeline for the Research Apprenticeship Program & POLI 198RA/POLI 199 Enrollment”.
18. What if I drop the program after the Winter quarter?
    1. Students can drop the program after the Winter quarter is over. Please inform the graduate mentor of your intention to drop the program, and un-enroll yourself in POLI 198RA for the Spring quarter if you enrolled in the course prior to making the decision. 
19. Do I need to participate in both Winter and Spring quarters?  What if I want to study abroad or participate in UCDC or UC Sacramento in either the Winter or Spring quarter?
    1. It is expected that students will participate in both quarters of research; if you do not see yourself participating in both quarters, then please be honest with the graduate mentor(s) with whom you are interviewing to see if they would be okay with having you on for only one quarter. 
20. When will I hear back if I am selected to work on a project?
    1. Students usually hear back within 1-2 weeks of being interviewed by the graduate mentor(s), but it's important to clarify the timeline with the specific graduate mentor as well. 
21. How many students generally participate in the Research Apprenticeship Program each year?
    1. Around 30 - 50+ students participate in the program every year; the final number depends on the number of projects available and how many research assistants each graduate mentor needs for their project.
22. How do I best prepare for the Research Apprenticeship program?
    1. It's best to prepare for the program as early as possible. The following are some suggestions:
       1. Speak with an Undergraduate Advisor about your interest in the program so your academic plan can be developed with the opportunity in mind.
       2. Keep grades in your Political Science courses strong to ensure you meet the minimum major GPA.
       3. Review each project carefully, and apply to the ones that interest you. If you have more questions about the research project, reach out via email to the graduate mentor.

During the Winter and Spring quarters, each student must commit to 12 hours per week as a research assistant in POLI 198RA.

In the Spring, students also have the option to enroll in POLI 199 and write a research paper of approximately 20 pages on the topic they have been working on with their mentor. 

Students enroll in POLI 198RA in the Winter and Spring quarters and in the optional POLI 199 course in the Spring quarter. Students will receive 4 units for each quarter in POLI 198RA and 4 units for completing the course requirements of a POLI 199. All three courses may count as major electives as long as you earn a "Pass" grade.  

• Please note that POLI 198RA and POLI 199 are taken on a Pass/Not Pass basis only.
• By university regulations, no more than one-quarter of an undergraduate’s units toward graduation can be taken on a P/NP basis.
• No more than two POLI 198RA courses and no more than two POLI 199 courses can be counted toward the Political Science majors.

[1] Read the project descriptions for the 2025 - 2026 cycle. 

[2] Download and complete the preference form.

[3] Prepare a cover letter and resume. Read the guidelines about the cover letter.

[4] Print your unofficial transcript.

[5] E-mail the completed form with a cover letter, resume, and a copy of your unofficial transcript to the mentor of each project to which you are applying.

Deadline for First Consideration: Monday, December 1st, 2025 (Week 10) 

Mid-late October: The list of available projects is finalized. Undergraduate Political Science students are notified of the opportunity and may begin applying for the program, sending their application and other required materials to the graduate student whose project(s) they are interested in serving on.

Mid-November: First consideration of undergraduate research assistant applicants is due.

Mid-November - Mid-December: Graduate students interview, select, and confirm the undergraduate research assistants they would like to mentor for the Winter and Spring quarters. After this process, graduate students complete a form that indicates the research assistants who have been chosen for - and accepted their role in - the Research Apprenticeship Program. 

Mid-December - Late December: The Undergraduate Advisor receives the list of students chosen for the Research Apprenticeship Program and preauthorizes the selected students for POLI 198RA in the Winter quarter. 

Late December - Friday of Week 2 of Winter Quarter: Students selected as research assistants for the Research Apprenticeship Program must enroll in POLI 198RA for 4 units by the add deadline. 

Finals Week of Winter Quarter: Student grades for POLI 198RA in Winter are submitted.

Spring Break - Friday of Week 2 of Spring Quarter: Students eligible to enroll in POLI 198RA and - if desired, POLI 199 - for the Spring quarter are preauthorized by the Undergraduate advisor for enrollment.  Students must then enroll in POLI 198RA for 4 units (and, if approved, POLI 199 for 4 units) by the add deadline. 

Finals Week of Spring Quarter: Student grades for POLI 198RA and POLI 199 in Spring are submitted.

Many students interested in the Research Apprenticeship Program ask about some of the tasks they are given, benefits of the program, and how they are impacted through participation. Below is some anonymous feedback we received from students about these aspects!

In what ways did you help the Graduate Mentor with their project?

"I wrote literature reviews for the topics and covered 30+ peer-reviewed papers. I also conducted case studies based on news reports of related incidents. I have also helped data-cleaning, reference lookup-up, and primary analysis as well."

"I collected and cleaned government data files in R created new variables and datasets for analysis."

"Every week we had assignments. I collected data, read and summarized news articles, and I participated in a bit of coding."

"I did background research and wrote memos and am in the process of creating a database of satellite image based graphs and whether they match with harvest for a future project."

"He taught me how to structure a research paper and execute my own idea. Awesome!"

What were the benefits to participating as a Research Assistant in the Research Apprenticeship Program?

"Getting to know a PhD candidate was especially valuable. I enjoyed seeing their approach to their research, and I was impressed with the amount of work that went into writing a dissertation. This gave me a better idea of what is expected out of graduate students."

"I meet this really patient and helpful mentor and peer mentees. My experience as a research assistance also helps me better understand my passion for a research career in the field."

"One benefit of the program was that you were allowed to complete the tasks at your own pace giving me more time to understand the data I was working with and gain hands-on experience on how to work with data in research. Furthermore, this was a large opportunity for self-improvement because I learned how to solve programming problems by myself and improve the efficiency of my codes."

"I learned how to be disciplined, focused and vulnerable. This helped me decide to do my senior honors thesis."

"I learned a lot in terms of research methods and skills, writing my own research paper, and found someone I could talk to about the future who could guide me."

"The RA Program really helped me establish that I would like to pursue a career in politics research. I enjoyed the other RAs I've worked with and my Graduate Mentor was wonderful. I think it was a great networking opportunity. I have no doubt in my mind that I will see this group of people again and continue to be connected through our careers. Also, something that was very important to me was that the research paper you write can be used as a writing sample for future endeavors."

How has your understanding of research skills and research implications in the realm of Political Science changed through participating in the Research Apprenticeship Program?

"I am now much better equipped to read through and properly analyze scholarly articles. Whereas I had some experience with this prior to POLI 198RA, I no longer see reading and understanding complex articles as an insurmountable challenge. Further, I think this course goes nicely with POLI 170A (which I took two quarters prior to POLI 198RA), as this course was basically a real-world application of what I learned in that class."

"My experience gave me a better perspective of the complicated nature of research, allowing me to gain even more appreciation for researchers. I also realized that research is multi-faceted and to be a good researcher, you have to be well-rounded in your critical and technical skills."

"Being able to create an original data set, helped widen my perspective to what I want to research in political science."

"I have a better understanding of the kind of research that I am interested in and may want to conduct later in my academic career."

"Definitely improved, as I learned lots of formulas in excel and R by myself"

"I think I knew a decent amount about research before. However, working with the group helped me to establish stronger methods and think outside the box."