Opportunities for Research

Paths for Exploration

When you look for undergraduate research opportunities at UC San Diego, use the following paths or categories to help narrow your search and define the kind of experience you hope to find. Useful information about undergraduate research possibilities exists in many places: on the UC San Diego Web, in academic departments, with advising staff, and with your faculty, friends and fellow classmates. Be patient yet persistent; the experience will enrich your undergraduate years and your professional future.

Existing Opportunities/Courses

Students can conduct research across undergraduate disciplines and departments at UC San Diego, often independently or in small groups/classes. One way to begin to create a project is to review what’s offered in the undergraduate departments and programs. These courses are most often Special Studies Courses: those numbered 97, 98, 99 and 197, 198, 199. Contact advising staff in your college and the specific departments for more information. Consult the right hand side of this page for a list of departments, programs, schools and divisions that offer undergraduate research opportunities.

Academic Enrichment Program (AEP)

The office of Academic Enrichment Programs (AEP) offers UCSD undergraduates opportunities to obtain valuable research-oriented academic experience in virtually any academic major including science, math, engineering, social sciences and the arts and humanities. AEP initiatives are designed to encourage undergraduates to pursue Ph.D.'s, medical degrees, and other advanced degrees.

  AEP's enrichment programs include: the Faculty Mentor Program; California Alliance for Minority Participation in Science, Engineering and Mathematics Program (CAMP); Health and Medical Professionals Preparation Program (HMP3); McNair Program; Summer Research Program; UCSD Undergraduate Research Conference, and Graduate School Application Awards.

Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD)

The Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) is a program supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, part of the National Institute of Health. It is directed at motivating UCSD undergraduate students toward a career in science. Students participate in paid, hands-on, bench research experienced at different, superb laboratories within UCSD. These students are exposed to rich, scientific environments where they gain experience, self confidence, and the motivation to pursue a Ph.D. degree. During this time, students participate in a research project, seminars, workshops, a peer mentoring program, and other regular laboratory activities, such as group meetings and journal clubs. Students that actively participate in the IMSD Program for at least one year, who are recommended as outstanding by their mentors, and that maintain a GPA above 3.0 will obtain conditional acceptance into the Biomedical Sciences (BMS) graduate program as well as the Bioengineering graduate program at UCSD. Explore the IMSD Website

International Opportunities/Study Abroad

Travel and study abroad provide fertile ground for various undergraduate research projects. Students can work with a faculty mentor to build a research component into their time studying abroad. For more information, contact advisers in the academic department of your major or proposed course of study, and staff in the study abroad programs listed below.

• UC San Diego Programs Abroad Office
• UC Education Abroad Program

Volunteer Opportunities

Don’t forget to consider the broad range of Student Involvement Opportunities, which are enormously helpful for defining your research interests and building networks. Participation in student organizations, leadership activities and community outreach programs often leads to more formal research projects. Also see the Experiential Learning site. The San Diego Supercomputer Center is offering Undergraduate Volunteer Winter Research Opportunities as part of their CREU program.

Opportunities Off Campus

The Career Services Center coordinates programs that involve undergraduate research opportunities off campus. They include a number of funded opportunities and internship resources.

• UC San Diego Summer Research Opportunities
• Port Triton Job and Internship Listings
• AAMC Association of American Medical Colleges Summer Research Programs
• ASBMB (American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
• REU Program (NSF)
• UCDC Program
• UC Institute for Research in the Arts
• Off-Campus Organizations with Internships or Research Project Potential

Council on Undergraduate Research

The Council on Undergraduate Research hosts a Registry of Undergraduate Researchers.  The purpose of this registry is to facilitate matchmaking between undergraduates who have research experience and a desire to pursue an advanced degree, with graduate schools seeking high quality students who are well prepared for research.  The Registry is open to students and graduate schools in the fields of Anthropology/Archaeology, Arts/Humanities, Biology/Biochemistry, Chemistry/Biochemistry, Economics, Engineering, Geosciences, Health Professions, Mathematics/Computer Science, Physics/ Astronomy, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology. Any undergraduate may go to www.cur.org/ugreg/ to fill out a simple curriculum vitae form.

Funded Opportunities

Paid positions are available to undergraduate students, who can explore listings at the Career Services Center. The Academic Enrichment Program also has funded research opportunities available to qualified undergrads.

Undergraduate Research Conferences

Conferences organized around undergraduate research topics take place on and off campus. Also check (URL to our Events button) regularly for updates.

Getting to Know Professors/Small Seminars

One way to get to know faculty members who might guide you in your research project selection is to attend small undergraduate seminars. Check with staff advisers in the academic departments and programs, and reference the Undergraduate Seminar Programs page.

Honors Programs

Honors programs in the six colleges and selected academic departments often contain a research component: a project, a portfolio presentation, or a longer paper or study, for example. For more information consult the college Web sites and the academic departments listings.

• Marshall College
• Muir College
• Revelle College
• Roosevelt College
• Sixth College
• Warren College

Also See:

Visit the student portal TritonLink to access additional information about research options available to undergraduate students. Academic Enrichment Programs (AEP) offers a wide range of research-based opportunities and success strategies to assist qualified undergraduates as they pursue their degree. A number of these opportunities are funded.

Log on to the Bulletin Board of research opportunities posted by both students and faculty: