For Undergraduates

There are several ways to get involved with the Office of Population Research. Explore the opportunities below and learn more about the interdisciplinary work that goes on in the department.

Take Population Courses

Although there are no official POP courses for undergraduates, there are several population courses offered in related fields like sociology, economics, and public policy that are taught by OPR-affiliated faculty. Examples of courses like this are:

SPI 330 / SOC 328 - Population, Society, and Public Policy

GHP 351 / SPI 381 / EEB 351 / POP 351 - Epidemiology: An Ecological and Evolutionary Perspective

SOC 329/LAO 329 - Immigrant America 

GSS 420 / SOC 420 / GHP 420 - Born in the USA: Culture and Reproduction in Modern America 

SPI 331 / SOC 312 / AAS 317 -  Race and Public Policy

SOC 366 - Social Determinants of Health 

Beyond content knowledge, taking classes in statistics, coding and computer science, and advanced math like linear algebra and multivariable calculus are encouraged.

Consider taking the following graduate seminar sequences as a senior:

POP 501 - Survey of Population Problems

POP 502 - Research Methods in Demography

Get Involved in Research

There are several OPR projects and center affiliates that undergraduates can look into for research projects. There are also research opportunities with specific faculty. Undergraduate students are welcome to attend the weekly Notestein Seminars to learn about population research. 

Undergraduates can also do their Junior Papers and Senior Theses on a population-related issue. There might even be a chance to attend or present at the Population Association of America conference.

You are also welcome to attend research and coding workshops hosted by OPR, including the The Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Summer Data Workshop.

Consider Graduate Programs in Population Studies and Demography

If you are looking for ways to continue your population and demographic knowledge, consider furthering your education at a graduate program.

Some programs for PhDs in Population Studies and Demography in the United States Include:

Princeton University 

UC Berkeley

University of Pennsylvania

Other graduate programs have population centers where doctoral students are involved. Some examples include:

Cornell Population Center

CU-Boulder Population Center

Duke Population Research Center

Minnesota Population Center

Michigan Population Center

Pennsylvania State University Joint Demography Program

UNC-Chapel Hill Pop Center

Georgetown University

University of Texas, Austin

University of Washington

Brown University

Florida State University

Ohio State University

See Population Research in Action

Population and demographic research cross-cuts with many of the important issues of our time. Work at OPR tackles global health, child development and family formation, migration as well as public policy issues like immigration, eviction, education, poverty, and much more. See below what faculty and students at OPR have been up to::

Recent OPR News

Recent OPR Publications