Introduction
Directed Research is an opportunity for students to get involved with research under the supervision of a faculty member and get course credit for doing so. The Department of Psychology offers two similar opportunities to get involved in directed research.
Directed Research 1903 vs. 1907: These are both directed research opportunities, and students find them to be equally valuable. The main difference is simply whether the faculty member who directs the lab (sometimes called the Principal Investigator or PI) is a primary faculty member in Psychology vs. in a related department such as Psychiatry. 1907 is for Primary Psychology Faculty, whereas 1903 is for faculty in other departments. There are some other smaller differences in requirements and grade options, which are explained on this page.
Advanced Directed Research 1064 is a way to conduct research in a lab and use this instead of taking an "Advanced Lab" course as part of the psychology requirements. 1064 can only be done for faculty who are Primary in Psychology - faculty who offer 1907, and you must have already participated in PSY 1907 for at least one semester in the same lab to do 1064.
1903, 1907, and 1694 are the research opportunities that get you course credit. Aside from these, sometimes labs will accept students who want to do research but not for course credit, such as volunteering, getting paid for working in a lab, or get paid as a work-study student. If you are interested in these opportunities, you could go through a similar process as applying for 1903 or 1907 and inquire with the lab if there are any other opportunities.
What steps are involved to do 1903 or 1907?
- Explore Labs: If you're interested in becoming a research assistant, we recommend that you first look at the directed research opportunities listed below. Remember the differences for 1903 vs. 1907 and the prerequesites for each.
- Apply: Once you have a list of a few opportunities that interest you, follow the directions listed under those opportunities. Some may have an application form that you can fill out to apply to work in that faculty member's lab. Some may ask that you email someone in addition to completing the application. If no application form is available, email the contact person.
- Wait: Give it a little while—it may take a couple of weeks before you hear back from the labs that you applied to. If you don't hear back in 2-3 weeks, it is appropriate to send a follow-up email noting that you have applied but not yet heard back. Something like: Dear Dr. XX, I applied to be a directed research student in your lab on X date but have not yet heard back from you. I am writing to follow up to ask if you are accepting students at this time.
- Interview: You will likely be asked to interview with the labs you have applied to work in. Some labs have a multi-tiered interview process in which you will first be interviewed by a graduate student or staff member, and then be interviewed by the faculty member.
- Choose a Lab: If you have been accepted into multiple labs, you will need to choose which one to join. You may want to try to talk to other students who have been in these labs. The Psychology Advising office may also have good advice for you about this.
- Get a permission number:
- 1903: If you accept an offer to do 1903, you'll need to complete the learning agreement. There are parts for both you and the faculty advisor to fill out. Once it is finished, send the learning agreement and a transcript (unofficial is fine) to psyadvis@pitt.edu for review and request a permission number to enroll.
- 1907: If you are doing 1907, you do not need to do a learning agreement. Your faculty advisor will give you a permission number to enroll.
- Enroll: Use the permission number to self-enroll.
Other Opportunities
If you are looking for research at other opportunities, the American Psychological Association has a list of opportunities and internships. There are also many other opportunities that you might learn about through social media and other sites.