<p>How ample and rewarding are the opportunities for undergraduate social science research at Yale? Can any current or former students speak to the ease of securing funding and support for independent research or finding professors to work with? Specifically, I am interested in quantitative research in political science, economics, and public policy. Is social science research centered around ISPS? Are there opportunities there for undergraduates?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I don’t think you can find a better place to do quantitative (American) political science research–it’s probably the strongest subdiscipline of the department. The professors are also all very open to helping and working with students interested in research. The political science department also offers summer fellowship funding, but I don’t know the details about that. As for econ and public policy, it’ll depend on your specific research interests, but there should be opportunities for whatever you can think of. Political science and public policy research will probably connect to ISPS; less so for econ research.</p>
<p>I can’t address most of your questions, but I know that at least two of my D’s undergraduate friends are working at the ISPS as research assistants, as did my D for a brief time. I didn’t get the impression that landing such a position is difficult.</p>