Undergraduate Research
Independent Study Course (ECON 4398)
The economics department encourages economics majors to consider an independent study (ECON 4398) as part of their degree program. During this course, students will work under the guidance of a faculty member to conduct a research project or investigate a subfield of economics that is not covered in any of the department's regular courses.
- The course is 3 credits hours and requires a full semester of workload.
- A student enrolled in this course must be committed to working hard throughout the semester and maintaining regular contact with their faculty advisor.
- An independent research project is not mandatory for a bachelor degree in Economics.
Eligibility
Undergraduate students are eligible to apply for ECON 4398 if they have:- Economics as a declared major or minor
- GPA of 3.5 or higher
- A grade of B+ or better in the following courses:
- ECON 3332 (Intermediate Microeconomics) or ECON 3334 (Intermediate Macroeconomics) depending on the field of research intended
- ECON 3370 (Introduction to Econometrics)
- Taken at least one advanced (3000 or 4000 level) course related to the intended research topic
Enrollment Process
To enroll in ECON 4398 students should:- Contact Dr. Piruz Saboury at psaboury2@uh.edu to discuss research proposal and identify potential faculty adviser.
- Obtain approval from the faculty adviser.
- Complete a research proposal.
- Submit a general petition to the undergraduate director along with the research proposal and advisor approval prior to the first day of the semester.
Course Requirements
To complete the course students must:- Meet the requirements set by their faculty advisor.
- Write a 15–25 page paper and present their work before the end of the semester.
- Attend any Undergraduate Research Workshops and Seminars held by Department of Economics during the semester.