<p>I'm starting applications for grad school in either Economics or economic sociology in the fall but I don't have any research experience. Is there any way I can do some sort of independent research project?</p>
<p>There might be summer research assistant positions for economics majors.</p>
<p>are you applying for PhD programs? if so, and you don’t have any research experience yet, you might want to save yourself the hassle of applying and take a year or two off to gain some research skills.</p>
<p>thanks for the reply. I see research is very important.
What about if you’ve taking classes where you had to do research. Right now, I’m taking a class where my group has to do a research study to figure if a local company should decentralize or not based on companies in the midwest of similar management, revenue and all that stuff.
Then for my senior thesis, I have to do an independent study, but that’s the spring of next year, and by that time applications would have been due.
Also, I worked at the library on campus where I was involved in processing information, entering, writing abstracts and stuff like that. It’s not research but It’s writing experience.</p>
<p>Having research experience for economics is important, but it guarantees nothing. I just applied for Ph.D. programs in economics. My research experience is limited to a senior thesis I’m currently working on. I was admitted to only 2 of the programs I applied to out of 10. I think having, say, an RA position or my name on a paper would have definitely got me into more places, but my grades, coursework, and letters of recommendation probably helped a lot as well.</p>
<p>Bottom line: get some research experience, but the other things matter.</p>
<p>You should look to your department for opportunities for research. You dept advisor and profs should be able to give you suggestions or take you on to their research projects, you have to ask. It depends on your undergrad institution, but at some schools it is very easy to join and others you have to work harder to network and find opportunities. It always comes down to going to office hours and asking. Also REU and some schools you can make a proposal and get your own summer funding. You ought to try to find something for this summer.</p>
<p>Sr thesis is good. TA’ing can be a smaller but important plus too.</p>