Our students gain fundamental research knowledge and skills through coursework, and may pursue additional research experience by working side by side with faculty members. Many have the opportunity to present their findings at professional conferences or publish their work.
Scroll down to learn more about student and faculty research and opportunities to get involved.
Research Courses
PSYC 496
Research Experience
PSYC 497
Advanced Research Methods Capstone
PSYC 499
Independent Study
Showcasing Your Research
After completing a research project, there are many options for presenting or publishing your results — below are a couple of options past USD Psychological Sciences students have pursued. Make sure to talk your faculty advisor or with the Office of Undergraduate Research about other potential opportunities.
Creative Collaborations Undergraduate Research Conference
Creative Collaborations Undergraduate Research Conference (CC URC) showcases undergraduate research, scholarly activities and creative works from all disciplines conducted in partnership with faculty mentors. The high-quality work of our students reflects the intellectual curiosity of our undergraduate students, the outstanding abilities of the research mentors, as well as USD's commitment to academic excellence and experiential learning opportunities.
Many of the students who participate in Creative Collaborations also publish their work in academic journals and present their projects at regional, national and international conferences. Participating in research activities fosters critical thinking skills, prepares students for the 21st century workforce and helps them decide whether or not to include research in their academic and professional careers.
Michael Harris Student Colloquium
Each semester students are invited to apply to present their research to faculty and their peers for constructive and reinforcing feedback. Participants in the colloquium receive recognition at the end of the year and have their names engraved on a plaque that is displayed in the departmental office. The event was named after Michael Harris who attended USD (2008-12) and majored in psychology. Michael passed away in a boating accident in 2015.
He was a smart, caring and inquisitive student. He got involved in research during his sophomore year working on an archival research project in sport psychology (Michael loved sports!). He presented the findings at a research conference (SPSP) and was a co-author of a peer-reviewed publication. He presented his work at our departmental colloquium. For all his hard work and dedication Michael won the "Outstanding Research Award for Graduating Seniors."
Research Labs
Many faculty in the Department of Psychological Sciences maintain active research laboratories. Research specializations include clinical psychology, developmental and health psychology, and social psychology. Get more information about our faculty labs organized by area of specialization, general information about each lab's ongoing research and how to apply if you're interested in joining a lab.
Apply for Research
Earn research credits with Sona Systems
The Participant Pool (or just "Pool") is a platform for managing research studies conducted within the Psychology Department. Students enrolled in Introductory Psychology use the Pool to sign up for experiments and consequently earn research credits. Sona Systems is the online program that hosts the Pool.
Student Travel Awards
Cadden Award for Student Travel (CAST) program has been made possible through the generous donation to our department given by the late Kevin Cadden and Kim Nelson in support of student research initiatives in the psychological sciences. CAST grants are designed to support student travel to professional conferences to present original research findings.