Undergraduate Research Program

Berkeley is unique for its commitment to including undergraduate students in research enterprises, as evidenced by the fact that more undergraduates at Berkeley go on to earn Ph.D.’s than at any other college or university. The Office of Undergraduate Research helps students map out a strategy, connect with faculty and mentors, and obtain funding opportunities to support their research.

Research Programs

In general, there are two ways in which undergraduates get involved in research projects at UC Berkeley:

  1. Become a research apprentice or assistant: Many undergraduates support faculty-initiated research. The main campus program through which you can do this is “URAP” - the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program. URAP takes place each fall and spring semester and can provide students units for their work. Research opportunities are also available through the student-led website Beehive.
  2. Develop your own independent research. Students in their junior and senior year often develop independent research projects supported by faculty and graduate student mentors. Students may find funding and intellectual support from dozens of programs under the Berkeley Undergraduate Research Programs.

Summer Research

Students may conduct summer research projects through the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) at Berkeley.

Publish Your Research

There are many opportunities to publish undergraduate research. Below are a few examples of on-campus journals, and there are dozens of journals hosted at other campuses that you might consider submitting your work to. 

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