Connecting Learning with Research:
Research Assistantships
Soc 497: Capstone Research Practicum
This course will be offered for the first time in Spring 2009. Students will engage in hands-on research with a member of the sociology faculty current conducting world class research. Topics will vary based on faculty research interests. Students must have completed Soc 310 (theory), Soc 317 (research methods), and Soc 321 (statistics) before taking this course. This course fulfills the capstone requirement for sociology majors.
Soc 498: Research Assistantship
The Sociology Department at WSU has a diverse and energetic faculty who are actively engaged in a variety of research projects. Their work provides opportunities for student training and research experience. Highly capable undergraduate students may apply for positions as research assistants for up to two semesters. The goal is to provide research experience for those interested in further graduate training. Students may receive 3 credit hours (repeatable for up to 6 credits) by registering for Soc 498. Interested students should complete an application (including faculty recommendations) in the spring the year before the desired assistantship will occur.
Examples of Undergraduate Research Assistantships
Professor Kim Lloyd's tombstone project: The primary purpose of the project is to use cemetery headstone inscriptions to discover the ways in which individuals express the salient roles in their lifetime. In essence, Dr. Lloyd is interested in understanding how social structural changes have affected what people view as the most important part of their identity. Under Dr. Lloyd's direction, a team of undergraduate and graduate students collected and recorded cemetery data.
Professor Christine Horne's lab group. A team of undergraduate and graduate students work on various projects that can be studies using experimental research methods. Undergraduate research assistants participate in lab group meetings and have opportunities to work with both Dr. Horne and graduate students on all aspects of the experiments conducted in the observation lab in Wilson-Short Hall.
Soc 498 Student Application Form
Soc 498 Faculty Recommendation Form
Students should contact Christine Oakley to discuss current research opportunities.
Research Assistantships provide undergraduate students with hands-on training and experience in a variety of research projects, working directly with a member of the Sociology faculty.