Undergraduate Research

Anthropology undergraduates enjoy a wide range of opportunities to become involved in research.

For some undergraduate students, participation in research will lead to the completion of an honors thesis. The Department of Anthropology highly encourages undergraduate students to get involved in research opportunities after completing the introductory courses for the major (ANT 1, 2, 3). Participating in research as an undergraduate is especially recommended for students who are exploring the option of applying to graduate school.

Students who have completed 84 units are eligible to receive ANT 198 or 199 units by obtaining a volunteer position as a research assistant to work with an ANT faculty member or graduate student in their lab or on one of their research projects. To learn more about receiving academic credit, please look at this form. 

Contact the department's Undergraduate Advising Office for more information about opportunities that may be available. In addition, we recommend exploring the research interests of our faculty to get a general idea of the topics that may best align with your research interests.

Students who are accepted as volunteers to work in the UC Davis Anthropology Museum can petition to receive credit as interns under the supervision of an appropriate faculty member. Consult the advising office for more information about this possibility.

Other helpful resources in getting involved in research are available from the Undergraduate Research Center.

Check out this article about ANT faculty Brenna Henn overseeing undergraduate research in her lab!