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Research Opportunities for Political Science Students

The Department of Political Science invites talented students in our majors to partake in research opportunities throughout their time at UC San Diego.

Within the department, students can choose two popular research ventures: research under the guidance of approved graduate student mentors through the Research Apprenticeship Program and research under the guidance of a Core Faculty member through Independent Study. 

Across campus, students can choose from a variety of research opportunities; two of the most popular options focus on involvement in research projects associated with the REAL Portal and Undergraduate Research at UCSD.

Research Apprenticeship Program - POLI 198RA & Optional POLI 199

Under the Research Apprenticeship Program, students will collaborate with a Political Science doctoral candidate on the graduate mentor’s own research project in the Winter and Spring quarters.

With the guidance of the mentor, the student has the opportunity to also write a seminar paper of approximately 20 pages in the spring quarter.

For more information about the program, please view the Research Apprenticeship Program page for details.

Independent Study - POLI 199

In a POLI 199 (Independent Study), students work under the guidance of a Core Faculty in the Department of Political Science, usually assisting the faculty members' own research or helping with a project.

Overall, the agreement on the academic content is between the student and professor. Students take initiative to connect with an eligible faculty member to discuss the agreement for the quarter(s) in which they want to do the POLI 199.

For more information, please view the Independent Study - POLI 199 page for details. 

REAL Portal

The Research Experience & Applied Learning (REAL) Portal - one of the Engaged Learning Tools, which is part of the Teaching + Learning Commons at UC San Diego - offers research, internship, international, service learning, entrepreneurial, leadership, and other co-curricular opportunities that help students build real-world skills and apply knowledge gained in the classroom.

For more information, please view the REAL Portal page for details about how to build a profile and apply for opportunities.

Undergraduate Research at UCSD

The Undergraduate Research unit at UCSD helps undergraduates of any academic major connect with the UC San Diego research community and gain the skills to be successful in a post-baccalaureate career.

Undergraduate Research staff and faculty partners help prepare students for success and provide the tools for AEP alumni to thrive and influence conditions in their local, national and/or global communities.

For more information, please view the Undergraduate Research page for details