Undergraduate Research
Why do Undergraduate Research?
Research is one of the most exciting intellectual journeys students can take. The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs encourages all of our undergraduates to conduct or participate in research while at Georgia Tech for several reasons, including:
It's a new way of learning international affairs.
It's a great way to prepare for graduate or professional school.
It helps clarify career goals.
It allows students to be part of the incredible research happening at Tech.
It gives students tired of traditional lectures a way to make learning exciting.
Students work one-on-one with faculty.
Undergraduate research gives students hands-on learning within a chosen field of study under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Students can research for course credit or pay, part-time or full-time. For more information, check out the undergraduate research website.
Research Options
Students can conduct research at Georgia Tech in a variety of ways.
For credit: INTA and IAML students can receive INTA credit towards the degree by participating in independent study courses supervised by INTA faculty.
For pay: Students can apply for the President's Undergraduate Research Award, which provides funding to students conducting research under faculty supervision.
On your own projects: Students can create their own topic of interest and complete a semester-long research project on that topic.
On professors' projects: Students can help professors work on their research. Students will usually be involved in collecting data, researching articles to support the project, or reviewing data.
Research Grants
Dr. Wayne Clough, an ardent supporter of undergraduate research, recently established the President's Undergraduate Research Awards (PURA) to encourage and supplement undergraduate research opportunities for all majors. INTA and IAML students have been very successful in securing these PURA grants in the past. Awards of up to $1500 are given to students to conduct research with faculty members through this program.
Students should review the full list of research grants to decide which research grants are appropriate for their research projects. Included on this list is the description of the Undergraduate Research Internship Program, which may of interest to students considering graduate school after the undergraduate program.
To get started:
Interested INTA and IAML students should meet with INTA faculty members to talk about possible research options. Students can also research with professors from other Schools on campus. For a student considering researching his or her own topic, the student should develop a list of 2-3 interesting topics before meeting with the professor to narrow the topic.