Research Assistantship Program
Our Research Assistantship Program allow for Sociology students to support a faculty member with a research project over the course of a semester. Students earn 1 graded CU that can be counted towards the Sociology major or minor requirements (under "Additional SOCI courses"). Students are expected to spend approximately 10 hours a week working on the research project. The exact nature of the work and the final product is to be worked out with the faculty member, but it typically involves support such as library work, transcribing, translating, coding, and/or analyzing data.
Setting up a research assistantship
Students who are interested in a Research Assistantship can get started in several ways:
- Reach out to sociology-staff@sas.upenn.edu to express your interest in participating in a Research Assistantship. The department can try to connect you with a professor who is looking for undergraduate help with their current research.
- Reach out directly to a professor whose research you'd like to support.
- Respond to emails from Sociology staff that announce research support opportunities with Sociology faculty.
Once students have expressed interest, usually a meeting takes place between the student and the faculty to discuss the project, tasks, and schedule. Once both the faculty and student agree to the arrangement, the students must send an email to the Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies, who will create an independent study course number (SOCI 3998) for the student to register. The student’s engagement in the independent study should result in the execution of a well-conceived, substantive research paper.
Students who are interested in engaging in independent study with our faculty should always think a semester ahead; for example, a student who wants to participate in an independent study in the Spring semester should explore opportunities in the preceding Fall semester.
Baltzell Scholar Research Program
Students support faculty research and receive payment (not academic credit). Students work for 10 hours per week, engaging in practical tasks such as coding, translating, reviewing literature, and synthesizing data. These research opportunities come directly from faculty and are sent to majors and minors in our department.
The Baltzell Scholar Research Program is supported by an endowment from former Penn Sociology professor E. Digby Baltzell. For more information, visit: https://sociology.sas.upenn.edu/about/our-generous-donors/e-digby-baltzell-endowment