PROPS Frequently Asked Questions

The selection committee includes the faculty sponsor for the program, the program coordinator and the graduate student mentor.

Since we have limited resources and funding, we typically accept about twenty students per year to the program. This small number allows us to interact closely with each student and to offer guidance.  

Yes, you will earn 2 upper-division units in each quarter of the program.

The stipend is typically about $3,000 for 2 quarters of participation, but may change depending on funding sources.

Possibly. Please consult with your Financial Aid Counselor to find out what, if any, impact the stipend may have on your financial aid package.

Students are required to commit to PROPS for two quarters, Winter and Spring. In addition to conducting research in a Psychology laboratory for 10 hours a week, students are also required to attend weekly seminars on Wednesdays from 10:00am-11:30am in both Winter and Spring 2026. A research poster, verbal presentation, and a final research paper on the student’s research project are all required. Other assignments are required as well and will be detailed in the syllabus. Please note that funding is contingent on completion of all requirements for the program, including seminar attendance.

Yes! We encourage all students to participate in local undergraduate research conferences. All students will present their research in poster format, a talk, and a research paper at the end of Spring quarter. By the end of the first quarter in the program, students should be able to produce enough research work to be able to submit an abstract for consideration for the Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference (PURC).

No. Students are only eligible for the program if they can commit to the seminars for both winter and spring quarters.

No. The program is designed to help students develop research skills in Psychology.

Students cannot pursue additional research course contracts for the research they are doing for their PROPS requirement (such as PSYCH 99, 196A/B, or 199A/B contracts). An additional course contract is only allowed if students are doing a separate project in their lab or are working in a different lab during the same quarter.