What is Undergraduate Research?

Collage of students conducting research in an engineering setting, in a lab, in a warehouse, with a tractor, and with screens filming clinical settings

What Does Undergraduate Research Look Like?

There are many different types of research! Possibilities include: experiments in a laboratory or industrial facility, data analysis, survey administration, community-based engagement, literature research, experiments in agricultural or natural settings, computational modeling and analysis, research in clinical settings, and more.

Student outside with surveying equipment

Who Should Participate?

All students can benefit from participating in undergraduate research! It is not only for students who know they want to pursue a career in research. You will learn skills that will prepare you for whatever your future career might be. These skills include overcoming challenges, independence, critical and creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and applying foundational concepts to answer questions and propose solutions. Plus, potential employers will favorably view research experiences, whether in your own major or in other fields, and these experiences can give you a competitive edge.

Mentor and mentee examine tomato and lettuce plants in the green house

Where? When?

You can engage in undergraduate research through an embedded experience in your coursework, through enrolling in a specialized course where you conduct research for credit, through paid positions, or through summer programs (paid and unpaid). No matter what the mechanism, undergraduate research will engage you in the research endeavor — asking questions, collecting and analyzing data, formulating solutions and conclusions, and then asking more questions. You will explore new areas of study and learn to stretch your mind through discovery. Speak with your academic advisor to explore options.


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