Resources for Undergraduate Students

Opportunities for Undergraduates
Undergraduate UCLA students who are interested in becoming involved in CALMA have a number of options for participation.

Academic Course Credit Options:
Psych 99 – Student Research Program

  • Assists undergraduates in obtaining research skills, defining their academic interests and objectives under the direction of a faculty mentor. Particularly suited to lower-division & first-quarter transfer students.
  • Students receive one unit of credit for 3-5 hours of work per week or two units for 6 or more hours of work. Students in the College may take up to 10 units of SRP credit during their undergraduate career. Only 6 of those units will count towards graduation. Once a student has completed six units of SRP he/she may enroll in an additional 4 units without credit applied toward their degree. Each student can only submit one SRP contract per quarter.Students can do a maximum of 10 units
  • Eligibility:
    • Must be in good academic standing.
    • Must be enrolled in at least 12 units with full-time status, with the exception of Summer quarter.
    • If enrolled in over 18 units (including SRP), you will need to submit a petition to your counseling unit to go over your unit max. This petition must be approved before your contract is submitted.
    • Please contact us if you have questions about eligibility requirements or visit www.ugresearchsci.ucla.edu

Psych 196A – Assistantship in Psychology 
(www.psych.ucla.edu/undergraduate/research/psychology-196a-research-in-psychology)

  • Psych 196A (Assistantship in Psychology) offers undergraduate students the opportunity to assist Psychology Department faculty members and graduate students who are conducting research in the area of Psychology. Psych 196A is often taken in preparation for Psych 199, Directed Individual Research and Study. To receive credit for the course, students are required to work a minimum of 7 hours per week for the 10-week quarter and attend a one-hour weekly seminar, arranged by the faculty sponsor (Summer enrollees are required to work a minimum of 74 hours over the 6-week session). A five to eight page typed research paper is also required.
  • Course Guidelines:
    • Once you turn in your Psych 196A Contract, you will be enrolled in 4 P/NP units of Research. Depending on your lab group size, you will be enrolled in one of the following options: (1) Psych 196A – 4 units (2) Psych 196A – 3 units & Psych 194B – 1 unit (3) Psych 185 – 3 units & 194D – 1 unit.
    • To receive credit for the course, you MUST be enrolled in a total of 4 units on a P/NP basis.
    • Sophomore, Junior, or Senior standing is required.
    • Students continuing with the same research project in future quarters must submit a new Contract and enroll in the course.

Psych 199 – Psychology 199 A & B: Directed Independent Research in Psychology
(www.psych.ucla.edu/undergraduate/research/psychology-199-a-b-directed-independent-research-in-psychology)

  • Psychology 199 is a special studies course created to offer self-initiating students the opportunity to design and conduct their own independent research. This is done under the direction of a sponsor who must be a regular faculty member in the Psychology Department. Throughout the quarter, students enrolled in Psych 199 work closely with a faculty sponsor who guides them through the various phases of the students’ research. At the end of the quarter, students must submit a final version of their research paper to their faculty sponsor.
  • Psych 199 is not intended as a Research Assistant position in which a student simply aids professors or graduate students in their research. Students interested in working as Research Assistants should enroll in Psych 196A instead.
  • Requirements:

Psychology Research Opportunities Program (PROPS)
PROPS is a two-quarter program that provides a variety of opportunities. PROPS scholars:

  • Receive a $2000 stipend
  • Attend weekly seminars (2 units per quarter) with topics related to graduate study, research in psychology, and career options
  • Get help in completing all components of a graduate school application
  • Work closely with a faculty mentor conducting research in psychology
  • Network with peers
  • Receive guidance in choosing the right graduate school
  • Present research at the end of the year at undergraduate research conferences

To be eligible for PROPS, you must:

  • Have sophomore, junior, or senior standing
  • Be a Psychology, Psychobiology, or Cognitive Science major or pre-major
  • Have completed introductory psychology, statistics (Psych 100A), research methods (Psych 100B), and at least one upper division Psychology class taken at UCLA or another UC campus
  • Have an overall GPA of 2.7 or higher at UCLA and a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the major
  • Be a member of an underrepresented group (i.e. be eligible for financial aid, be a first generation college student etc.)

For more information, please visit: www.psych.ucla.edu/undergraduate/special-programs-and-events/psychology-research-opportunities-programs

The CALMA Team