Undergraduate Research Opportunities

One of the great advantages for students in New College is the opportunity for undergraduates to work with faculty on ongoing research in their fields of expertise.   

Anthropology

Undergraduate research opportunities are available in ASB 389 Ethnographic Field Lab (which also may be taken as SOC 389 or SBS 389).  This class is a hands-on, guided ethnographic qualitative research and interpretative analysis.  It may be repeated for credit when topics vary. Fieldwork practicum. (1-6 credit hours).  ASB also offers students ASB 499 Individualized Instruction which provides an opportunity for original study or investigation in the major or field of specialization on an individual and more autonomous basis.

Communication

Students have the opportunity to engage in undergraduate research in COM 382 Classroom Apprenticeship, COM 394: Storytelling and Oral History, COM 498 Community Research Team, COM 498 Inner City Families, and COM 499 Individualized Instruction. 
COM 382 Classroom Apprenticeship: Nongraded credit for students extending their experience with a content area by assisting with classroom supervision in other COM courses.
COM 394: Storytelling and Oral History: In this class, students will study the theory, communication techniques, and applications for the research and practice of storytelling and oral history interviewing. Students will  create appropriate questions, research the historical time their interviewee reports, and will meet with, record, and provide that oral history for the interviewee and for archiving.
COM 498 Community Research Team: Undergraduates are directed by a faculty member as they work with community members to collect data on communication the problems of local importance.
COM 498 Inner City Families: This course is designed to introduce issues and concerns that confront inner-city families. This course is a blend of theory and application. From a theoretical perspective, students will examine issues that affect families who live in the inner-city (e.g. race and poverty) as well specific skills and programmatic elements that are needed to work with families in an urban setting. In terms of application, during the semester students will be engaged in a specific service to Neighborhood Ministries or another embedded inner-city organization for a minimum of 3 hours per week.
COM 499 Individualized Instruction: Provides an opportunity for original study or investigation in the major or field of specialization on an individual and more autonomous basis.

Political Science

POS 464 Border Cities: Action Research on Globalization and POS 499 Individualized Instruction.  The description for POS 464: Students engage in field research in a Mexican border town to study the effects of globalization on the urban landscape and residents.

Psychology

There are two course numbers assigned for undergraduate research:  PGS 399 Supervised Research and PSY 499 Individualized Instruction.  Students begin with enrollment in PGS 399, in which they may earn a total of 6 credit hours.  This is a non-graded course (pass/fail), and students must either have completed or be enrolled in PSY 230 at the time they participate.  A student must receive permission from the faculty member in charge of the research project.  PSY 499 provides an opportunity for students who want to do advanced undergraduate research.  A student must first have taken PGS 399.  Students work with a member of the faculty to design the research project, and registration in the course requires both approval of that faculty member and the division director.  Please see our information about psychology labs located online here.

Sociology

Sociology offers students the opportunity to work with faculty through SOC 499 Individualized Instruction.  Students may work individually with the faculty or in groups, depending on the research project.