Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Are you interested in learning more about how to gain research experience or how to go about joining a research lab? If so, you have come to the right place! Here, you will find helpful information about how undergraduates can pursue research opportunities in psychology labs at ODU. Click on a topic below to learn more.
Why is getting research experience important?
How do I start getting research experience?
Where can I get research experience?
Where do I learn more about research labs?
Why is getting research experience important?
- Gaining experience in conducting research is an important asset and strongly recommended for anyone considering graduate school in psychology (and other related fields); it will strengthen your resume/curriculum vitae for graduate school.
- Gaining research experience will help you to apply and solidify the concepts and theories you have learned in your classes.
- As a research assistant, you will gain practical and important skills that are not easily taught in the classroom, such as designing experiments, working with particular equipment, speaking to study participants, and analyzing data from actual research respondents.
- The hands-on experience could help you gain clarity about which sub-discipline of psychology is of greatest interest to you as you refine your career options and consider the paths you wish to pursue.
- Research is interesting and fun! AND you get to contribute to psychological science that could have significant and meaning impact.
When should I get started?
You can get involved in research at any time! However, if you are planning to apply to graduate school, it is to your benefit to get involved in research as early as possible. You will likely gain the most out of the experience if you get started in your sophomore year. While selection criteria may differ across labs (for instance, the lab director may require that you have taken certain courses [e.g., PSYC 317 and PSY 318W]), getting started in your sophomore year will afford you the necessary time to gain foundational research skills in your sophomore and junior years while allowing you additional time to gain more advanced research experience in your senior year. This will also afford you the time to experience different research labs and explore various research topics you might be interested in.
How do I start getting research experience?
- There are several ways to acquire research experience as an undergraduate researcher:
- Volunteer: Many labs will accept research assistant volunteers. This option would not require you to sign up for any course credit.
- Earn course credit: You have the option of registering for a 3-credit hour Supervised Research course (PSYC 497 or PSYC 498). For more information, please see the ODU Supervised Research information sheet from the Psychology Department Advising Office.
- Enroll in zero-credit research course: If you would like to have your research experience reflected on your transcripts but not have to pay tuition, you could enroll in a zero-credit research course (PSYC 197). This option does not cost you tuition money but it will appear on your transcript (though it is zero credits so it will not go towards degree completion requirements). Discuss this possibility with your prospective faculty supervisor/mentor.
Where can I get research experience?
Faculty labs will vary in the availability of research assistant positions due to a number of different factors. It is best to reach out directly to the faculty lab you are interested in and inquire about possible lab openings. Please click “Research Lab” to learn more about each faculty lab in the Psychology Department.