UCLA Economics offers undergraduate Research Assistant (RA) opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in academic research. RAs assist faculty with tasks such as data analysis, literature reviews, programming, and drafting research materials. These roles help students develop practical skills, build faculty connections, and prepare for graduate school or careers in economics. Applications are open to Economics, Business Economics, and Math Economics Majors.

Students typically need strong academic performance, relevant coursework (e.g., Econometrics), and programming skills to qualify. Applications involve submitting resumes and academic details, which faculty review to match with research needs.

Instructions for Students: How to Complete the Application for Faculty Project Selection

Welcome! To apply for faculty project selection, please follow the instructions below to ensure your submission is complete and accurate.

  • Read the Privacy Notice
    Before proceeding, please review the privacy notice. We will be asking for your explicit consent to share your resume with faculty, staff, and graduate students for the purpose of project selection. This is necessary for us to circulate your documents among the appropriate individuals for selection purposes.
  • Complete the Application Form
    Click the link below to access the Student Application Sheet. You will be asked to provide the following information:

    • Section 1: Student Information
    • Section 2: Course Information
    • Section 3: Statistical/Econometrics Software Experience
    • Section 4: Upload Your Resume 
      • Note: Please label Surname, Given Name, Email (Ex: Bruin, Joe, Joebruin@ucla.edu)
    • Section 5: Consent for Circulation
       Note: Without your consent, your application will not be considered for project selection.
  • Review and Submit
    After completing all sections, double-check your information for accuracy. Once you’re satisfied with your responses, submit the form.
  • Faculty Review
    Once submitted, your application will be reviewed by faculty members. They will review the applications and reach out to students of interest directly for further discussions, to request transcripts, and project selection.

Any questions contact undergrad-ra@econ.ucla.edu

Current Research Opportunities

Submit Your Application Here

Undergraduate students at UCLA may wish to do research under the guidance of a faculty member in UCLA’s Department of Economics.  The websites for each faculty member can be found here.

In addition to contacting the faculty member(s) that you’d like to work with, please contact the staff in the Undergraduate Research Center for the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (URC).  The staff in this office serves all students in the humanities, the arts, the social sciences, and behavioral science disciplines.

For more information, please visit the two websites below:

http://hass.ugresearch.ucla.edu/courses/srp/

http://www.ugeducation.ucla.edu/urhass/contact.htm

Undergraduate students may also use this website below as a resource:

WI+RE (Writing Instruction + Research Education) – WI+RE (uclalibrary.github.io)

The Undergraduate Research Fellows Program at UCLA is an opportunity for undergraduate students to get hands-on experience in economic research. It is modeled after our Sharpe Fellows Program.  With the support of the Economics Board of Visitors, the program supports talented undergraduates to work side-by-side with a faculty member on the professor’s research team, and receive professional development training and personalized coaching.

Successful applicants will receive a stipend of $2,500 per quarter (up to a maximum of three quarters) and will present their findings at a public event in the Spring.

For more information, click here.

For questions, contact Partnership UCLA.

Below are the undergraduate research courses in the Department of Economics that our students can take.

Economics 99, Units: 1 to 2

Tutorial (supervised research or other scholarly work), three hours per week per unit. Entry-level research for lower-division students under guidance of faculty mentor. Students must be in good academic standing and enrolled in minimum of 12 units (excluding this course). Individual contract required; consult Undergraduate Research Center. May be repeated. P/NP grading.

For student eligibility and enrollment information, please visit the link provided above. For questions, please visit the Undergraduate Research Center – Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at A334 Murphy Hall, Monday – Friday from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. You can also call (310) 825-2935 or email urhass@college.ucla.edu

Economics 199A, Units: 4

Tutorial, three hours. Requisites: courses 11, 101, 102. Limited to juniors/seniors. Supervised individual research or investigation under guidance of faculty mentor. Culminating paper or project required. May be repeated twice but may be applied only once toward major requirements. Individual contract required. P/NP or letter grading.

Economics 198A & 198B, Units: 4 each

198A: Tutorial, three hours. Requisites: courses 11, 101, 102. Limited to senior departmental honors program students. First term of two-term sequence in which students develop honors thesis or comprehensive research project under direct supervision of faculty member. Individual contract required. In Progress grading (credit to be given only on completion of course 198B).

198B: Tutorial, three hours. Requisite: course 198A. Limited to senior departmental honors program students. Second term of two-term sequence in which students complete honors thesis or comprehensive research project under direct supervision of faculty member. Individual contract required. Letter grading.