Research Opportunities, Independent Studies and Senior Thesis

Research Opportunities Program (ROP)

This university program supports courses in individual units that are dedicated to faculty-supervised research by undergraduate students in their second and third years of study. These courses provide an excellent opportunity for students to "learn research methods, get to know fellow students and share in the excitement and discovery of acquiring new knowledge. They develop relationships with faculty members who can act as mentors during their undergraduate years and assist them in applications to graduate schools or professional Faculties." For more information visit the Research Opportunities Program website or contact the Director of Undergradute Studies.

Work Study Program

This program is managed by UToronto's Career and Co-Curricular Learning Network. Faculty receive invitations to create work study positions, which are then reviewed and usually approved. These positions are then posted. The nature of the positions varies, with some including a research component. Visit the CLnX wesbite for more information.

Independent Study Courses

The Institute has a number of independent study courses at the 400-level. Often these courses include a significant research project. Students generally initiate the request for an independent study course to the Director of Undergraduate Studies, who helps identify a faculty member willing to supervise the course. The particular design of the independent study is negotiated between student and instructor. A common model is to have the student participate in a graduate seminar taught by the instructor, with appropriate modifications in the design of course assessments and grading expectations, supplemented by a series of student-instructor meetings.

Senior Thesis

The IHPST is currenlty developing the possibility of a senior thesis option for undergradute students. In the interim, we currently offer courses at the 400-level, where doing research is often a central component of learning.  Currently, we have 13 of these courses in our full course listing, including:  HPS402, HPS 413, HPS440, HPS442, HPS444, and HPS 455.