Undergraduate Research Seminar: Black@Penn

Catalog description

In this course, students will learn the basics of social science research, from the conception of a research project to its execution and analysis. Working individually and in teams, we will explore the basics of social science research methods—both qualitative and quantitative and extant research on the social, psychological, and academic experiences of Black college students. Using these as a starting point, students will develop and execute one or more research projects. This will include decisions about the topic to be studied, the scope of the project, methodology and design, data collection and analysis. Students will develop research skills and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively on such projects, what kinds of assumptions and/or conclusions can/cannot be drawn from different types of research, and methods for making the results of their research accessible to various audiences. This course satisfies either the Methodology requirement or the upper-level research requirement for the Africana Studies major.