Our goal is to provide top-notch students with quality placements that align with their interests and experience. Students are asked to complete the Common Application so they can efficiently display their skills and interests to interested professors to make the placement process more efficient. The Common Application will include a Psychology Track or a Health Sciences Track before you declare your preferred areas/topics and labs.
Please follow the instructions from Step 2.
Late applications are accepted by permission from the instructor only. If you are inquiring about this, please contact Dr. Sandra Brown and Nardos Iyob (sandrabrown@ucsd.edu; niyob@ucsd.edu).
After you’ve been offered a research placement opportunity and have completed the PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research lab agreement, your next step is to submit an EASy request for permission to enroll in PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research with Dr. Brown. Please ensure you attach your signed lab agreement to the EASy request.
All Psychology B.S. majors can use PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research as one 4-unit Research course toward their research requirement. If a student chooses to continue in the lab and pursue a 4-unit PSYC 199 in the following quarter, they can use the 4-unit PSYC 199 credit as their second research course.
Business Psychology B.S. majors cannot use PSYC 193L towards Research. Instead, they can use their subsequent PSYC 199 course enrollment to meet this major requirement. Please note, Business Psychology B.S. majors who complete PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research are required to complete 8 units of PSYC 199.
Please note that all Psychology B.S., Psychology Specialization B.S., and Psychology Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience majors are required to complete 8 units of research to fulfill their research requirement.
Psychology B.A. majors cannot use PSYC 193L or PSYC 199 credit as upper-division Psychology Core/Elective credit.
If you are a non-psychology major, please consult with your department’s major advisor to see if PSYC 193L or PSYC 199 can fulfill your major requirements.
No, all first-time research assistants in Health Sciences labs are required to enroll in PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research course. PSYC 199s can be completed after the completion of PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research with Dr. Brown. Any exceptions must be reviewed and approved by Dr. Brown directly.
If you matched with a Health Sciences PI outside of the Common Application, please contact Dr. Sandra Brown and Nardos Iyob ( sandrabrown@ucsd.edu; niyob@ucsd.edu ) with your PI cc'd to notify Dr. Brown of your placement. Additionally, you will need to complete the lab agreement and submit an EASy request for PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research.
Students can complete many different types of research experiences with faculty within Health Sciences departments. Students completing PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research, followed by a PSYC 199 in Health Sciences, have the opportunity to work in clinical research and laboratory settings. For Health Sciences research placements, see faculty listed on the Common Application and other Health Sciences PIs who may have openings in their labs: lab opening list.
Yes. In the Common Application, you will need to select the Health Sciences Track to declare your preferred areas/topics and labs within Health Sciences. Effective Winter 2025, all first-time research assistants in Health Sciences labs are required to enroll in PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research course and may pursue PSYC 199 credit the following quarter.
This can happen. We strongly encourage you to email the Health Sciences PIs and/or lab contacts for research areas you’re most interested in. If you do not hear from those laboratories, contact alternative labs of interest ASAP. Please note: you can always reapply before the next quarter.
Yes. PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research is a lab course designed for students who would like to complete a research placement in Health Sciences. PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research must be completed before taking a PSYC 199 in Health Sciences. If interested, please consider submitting a Common Application under the Health Sciences Track.
Students interested in Dr. Brown’s PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research Lab course should plan to enroll in PSYC 199 in the following quarter. Enrollment in PSYC 199 will depend on faculty approval. If you have any questions about this expectation, please contact Dr. Brown directly.
The prerequisites for PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research lab are as follows: upper-division standing, PSYC 60 or COGS 14B or MATH 11 and PSYC 70 or COGS 14A, and a minimum UCSD GPA of 2.5.
Open to the following Department of Psychology majors only: PC26*, PC28, PC29, PC30, PC31, PC32, PC33, PC34, CG32.
* The Psychology minor also uses the PC26 code, but it is to signify the student’s minor code. Psych minor students are not eligible for Psychology research lab courses as they are for Psych majors only.
Please contact Dr. Brown if you are a non-psychology major interested in pursuing PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research lab. Additionally, please consult with your department’s major advisor to see if PSYC 193L or PSYC 199 can fulfill your major requirements.
PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research with Dr. Brown is required for all first-time research assistants in Health Sciences labs. PSYC 193L: Health Sciences Research specifically offers students the opportunity to collaborate with faculty outside of the department in a research setting.
Other PSYC 193L Psychology Laboratory Topics are lecture-based courses that cover selected research areas in the field of psychology. For more information, please visit our Undergraduate Courses page.
No, students may not receive both academic credit and payment for working in a research lab. Students may only receive one type of compensation, either academic credit (PSYC 193L) or payment (directly from the research lab). Additionally, work study hours should be separate from PSYC 193L hours.
