HDS Research Opportunities

In addition to the two required research methods courses for all HDS majors -- HDS 181 and HDS 191 --undergraduate students can receive academic credit and/or major credit for volunteering in a research lab to complete a developmental research project under one of the following course numbers:

Research for the HDS major or minor can be done in any of our affiliated departments To get credit as an HDS research position the proposed research project the student will be working on must be developmental in nature (meaning that it involves the afore-mentioned human transitions, transformations, traits or behaviors as they progress over time).

Developmental labs that are actively seeking research volunteers for academic credit are listed in the current research positions list, and the Real portal https://real.ucsd.edu, but students are also encouraged to directly contact other faculty members they are interested in working with to inquire about possible research positions. HDS affiliated faculty members have unique and varied areas of study, so it is likely that students will be able to identify a faculty member whose interests mirror their own.

To find professors that you could do research with, consider the following:

Formal Opportunities, such as research positions posted on the REAL Portal (Research Experience and Applied Learning) https://real.ucsd.edu/. The REAL Portal 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. Department web pages, such as HDS, PSYC , CogSci, EDS, etc. may also post open research opportunities for their affiliated faculty.
Informal Opportunities, by getting to know a professor–this can be done by taking a class with a professor and doing well, visiting with them during office hours, and discussing their research. Once you build a rapport, let them know you are looking for an opportunity to work in a lab/do research. Many of the guest lecturers in HDS 1 are open to taking students in their lab, so consider enrolling in the course this fall.
Directly emailing professors who’s research you find interesting, to see if they have any openings in their lab. Note that when reaching out to a professor you are not acquainted with, your email should be written as a professional business letter. You can find potential professors by looking at the list of professors on websites in our affiliated departments, and reading about what kind of research they do. For example, researchers affiliated with HDS can be found here: HDS affiliated faculty members