Undergraduate Research

The Government Department is a national leader in undergraduate research. Our faculty and students collaborate on a wide variety of research projects. 

Students may choose to pursue an individual research topic, either through the Honors program or Independent Study. William & Mary has many resources available to undergraduates for their research. Swem Library can connect students to information about government and political theory as well as data from governments. There are also financial resources available to students engaged in research.

No more than 6 total credits from any of the combination of the following courses may be counted toward the major in Government: GOVT 394: Direct Research, GOVT 494: Independent Study, GOVT 498: Internship, INTR 499: Washington DC Program Summer Internship. Credits beyond 6 would still count toward the 120 credits needed for graduation.

Most members of the Government faculty conduct meaningful, multi-year research projects with our students. Many of these projects have resulted in publication. Several of these initiatives in faculty-student research are underway now. For specifics on how to get involved in each of these or others, consult the Department's "Guide to Learning Outside the Traditional Classroom," and check out their individual sites below.  

• Afghanistan Research Lab (ARL) publishes policy-relevant research on Afghanistan’s recent past and contemporary challenges, aiming to derive critical lessons from over two decades of international engagement.

• African Research Center (ARC) conducts policy-relevant research on mobile technology and development; governance and state-building; and armed conflict in sub-Saharan Africa.

• AidData collects, curates, and publishes data on more than $5.5 trillion dollars in development finance from 90 bilateral and multilateral agencies at the project level.

• The American-Bosnian-Collaboration (ABC) Project prepares students to co-teach with Bosnian university students a free summer educational program promoting English and cross-cultural skills to youth. Students also conduct research on the impact of their educational intervention.

• Dunn Civil Liberties Project has the goal of enhancing knowledge of civil liberties and encouraging future generations of graduates to devote their time to advancing civil liberties causes.

• International Justice Lab (IJL) brings together faculty and students from across the United States to conduct research on human rights, transitional justice, and international law and courts. We aim to produce high-quality social science research that is relevant to policy makers, practitioners, and civil society advocates.

• International and Political Affairs of the Caucasus (IPAC). This research group looks at the international and domestic relations within, between, and beyond the countries of the Caucasus. Our research encompasses a wide range of topics, including historical issues, language, culture, trade, security, and more.

• Omnibus Project coordinates and streamlines the development of a student subject pool for faculty and student research.

• NukeLab is an undergraduate research lab that applies cutting-edge social science theory and methods to pressing policy questions in nuclear security, proliferation, and deterrence. 

• Political Psychology and International Relations (PPIR) lab uses a psychological, including social and neuroscientific, approach to address the security, economic, and environmental challenges that arise from global interconnectedness.

• Project on International Peace and Security (PIPS) research fellows identify an emerging international security challenge and develop original and carefully researched policy recommendations.
  
  
• Social Network and Political Psychology Lab (SNaPP) investigates the biological, psychological, and social underpinnings of political behavior.
  
  
• Social Science Research Methods Center (SSRMC) helps students develop their own independent research projects and develop the skills necessary to be competitive for jobs requiring data analysis skills.
  
  
• Systematic Text Analysis for International Relations (STAIR) is a collaborative  research lab using data science text analysis tools to analyze important issues in international relations today.
  
  
• TRIP (Teaching, Research and International Policy) Lab:  TRIP studies the relationship between international relations theory and practice, and conducts research exploring how best to “bridge the gap” between the academic study of IR and the practice of IR and foreign policy. TRIP conducts surveys of policymakers, journalists, and IR faculty members and analyzes text as data as methods of analysis.