Research is an integral part of the American University and School of Public Affairs (SPA) undergraduate liberal arts education. Students take a major-specific research methods course (GOVT-310, JLC-280, or JLC-281) designed to help them learn the critical skills and competencies of research, to put those skills into practice, and to take their research beyond the classroom by publishing or presenting their work. More than just a set of skills, though, research is a mindset. We are committed to supporting undergraduate research because learning how to conduct research empowers students to be critical consumers and producers of knowledge and equips them with the skills critical for success in future courses and careers.

SPA provides numerous opportunities for undergraduate students to hone, advance, and take their research beyond the classroom. Some key examples of this include, but are not limited to:

Serve as an Undergraduate Research Assistant:

• The Public Affairs & Policy Lab (PAPL) - students can work one on one with an SPA faculty member by serving as an undergraduate Research Assistant (RA) on some research project the faculty member is currently working on.
• The Peace & Violence Research Lab supports undergraduate and graduate research on topics related to peace and political violence. Students selected as fellows work with a faculty mentor who has similar research interests.

Present Your Original Research:

• The annual SPA Undergraduate Research Symposium (UGRS), held every spring, provides undergraduates the chance to present their original scholarly research before the faculty and their peers in SPA. Students can practice their public speaking and presentation skills while demonstrating their understanding of their research topic.
• The SPA Undergraduate Conference Travel Award is available to partially defray the cost of registration and travel for SPA undergraduate students who are presenting research at scholarly conferences. Awards are allocated through a competitive process, and students are eligible for only one award each academic year. 

Submit Your Paper for potential Publication in one of AU’s undergraduate student journals:

• Clocks and Clouds AU’s oldest undergraduate research journal focused on political science, international relations, and public policy.
• The World Mind is American University’s undergraduate-led publication dedicated to covering foreign policy and global affairs. Students get to collaborate with others to offer diverse perspectives and meaningful dialogue through the context of analyzing top stories in international relations.
• Juris Mentem Law Review is AU’s student-run Law journal that provides students the opportunity to improve their legal research and writing abilities by engaging in scholarly legal discourse. 

The School of Public Affairs is committed to supporting undergraduate research and offers a wide range of resources to support students in the conduct of research and in the presentation and publication of their research. The links to the left provide detailed information about these opportunities and resources for undergraduate research. If you have questions, you should speak with a faculty member or email aupublicaffairs@american.edu.