Unveiling Undergraduate Research Opportunities at UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz distinguishes itself as a global research university deeply committed to integrating research and creative inquiry into its undergraduate programs. With a strong emphasis on hands-on experience, UC Santa Cruz provides undergraduates with numerous avenues to engage in research across various disciplines. More than 50% of UC Santa Cruz undergraduates participate in hands-on research, underscoring its importance in the student experience. These opportunities not only develop advanced skills and insights but also provide an early introduction to the nature of graduate studies.
Diverse Avenues for Undergraduate Research
UC Santa Cruz, its departments, and faculty offer undergraduates many ways to get involved in research and creative activities. These opportunities develop advanced skills and insights and provide an early introduction to the nature of graduate studies. Whether developing sustainable solutions, advancing healthcare innovation, or creating boundary-pushing works of art, UC Santa Cruz students are active contributors to discovery and creativity.
Integration into Curriculum
Many majors incorporate research into their senior comprehensive requirement, with options or requirements of a senior thesis, capstone project, or other creative endeavor based on students’ individual research. At the best research universities, professors bring knowledge and creativity from their cutting-edge research into the classroom, integrating the canon of the discipline with its future directions. UC Santa Cruz takes this further with a special tradition of undergraduate research outside the classroom.
Structured Programs and Internships
Other opportunities for undergraduates include structured internships or research programs, joining ongoing faculty research or creative projects, or developing their own projects under faculty supervision.
QB3 Biotech Undergraduate Summer Internships: This program is designed to give students work experience in the biotechnology field, connecting them with paid internships at local biotech companies and UCSC labs.
Read also: Programs in Education at UC Santa Cruz
UCSC undergraduates taking Biomolecular Engineering (BME) 188 A & B, Synthetic Biology Mentored Research: Participate in a multi-disciplinary, collaborative research experience working on a project in synthetic biology. Working with one or more research faculty member(s), student teams will complete a substantial project.
International Education, Field-Study, and Exchange Programs
The following sections discuss a sampling of UCSC’s international education, field-study, and exchange programs, which enable students to deeply enrich their undergraduate experience and education as they learn by doing.
Showcasing Excellence: Awards and Recognition
Each year, 10 notable undergraduate research projects are granted Baskin Engineering Dean’s Awards, which recognize exceptional achievement in engineering research.
Featured Programs and Initiatives
STEM Diversity Programs
Several programs within the STEM Division (STEMDIV) offer research opportunities, including the Summer Research Experience (SRE).
Summer Research Experience (SRE): Students having been accepted into CAMP, UC LEADS, and Dean’s Excellence Fund programs work with UC Santa Cruz’s faculty in their labs to gain valuable lab experience while being introduced to the theoretical and practical aspects of laboratory research. During SRE students will be able to grow academically and professionally develop their skills.
Read also: Academic Life at UCSC: The Quarter System
Eligibility: To participate in SRE, you must be accepted into one of the STEMDIV Programs (CAMP, UC LEADS, DEF). You apply to the UC LEADS, CAMP and DEF Programs simultaneously with one application. Be a rising sophomore, junior, or senior in an institution of higher education in the United States. citizen or permanent resident. The program is especially designed to support students from community colleges and other non-Ph.D.-granting institutions who may be considering graduate study in science or engineering. However, it is open to all eligible undergraduates, and we encourage applications from a broad range of backgrounds.
Activities: In addition to research, students engage in educational and professional development activities, such as technical writing, oral presentation, scientific poster preparation, and graduate school application skills as part of a shared cohort experience with Cal-Bridge scholars.
Application Deadline: The annual application deadline to apply to participate in SRE is the second Friday of every February.
Selection Criteria: Applications will be reviewed by a panel consisting of staff, faculty, and students. Selected candidates will be invited for an interview with staff and current scholars. Candidates will be evaluated based on a holistic review process of their applications, education/ career goals, and aspirations.
Essay Questions: As part of the application, students are typically asked to respond to essay questions such as:
Read also: Campus Resources at UCSC
- Please describe your personal background and what experience(s) led you to where you are today in your education? Do not hesitate to express relevant extracurricular activities, any interesting or unusual circumstances or obstacles in your personal or academic background.
- Please describe any UCSC relevant work experience in the sciences, research, or as a volunteer. Also, what you have learned from these experiences, and how these experiences make you a good candidate for the program?
- After you obtain your bachelor’s degree, what are your long-term academic/career aspirations? If you are unclear about a specific career/academic path, please share a number of possibilities you foresee in your future. How do you plan to reach these goals?
- How are the STEMDIV Research Programs going to support your academic/career goals?
University of California Leadership Excellence through Advanced Degrees (UC LEADS): The UC LEADS program is designed to engage and educate California’s future leaders by preparing promising students for advanced education in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering (STEM). UC LEADS is designed to identify upper-division undergraduate students with the potential to succeed in these disciplines but who have experienced situations or conditions that have adversely impacted their advancement in their field of study. The UC LEADS program is headquartered in the STEM Diversity Programs office.
Chancellor’s Opportunity for Research Experience (CORE): Chancellor’s Opportunity for Research Experience (CORE) is a campus initiative to support and retain undergraduates as they earn degrees in the biological sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering. By integrating research, undergraduate education, and professional development, CORE creates a cohesive set of experiences that fully prepares undergraduates for graduate education and influences career choices.
Koret Scholars Program
The Koret Scholars Program provides funding for a variety of undergraduate research projects and experiences, and supports scholarships for undergraduate research projects with faculty and graduate student mentors.
Degree-Defining Experiences Program
The Science Division has received a $1 million donation to launch a major new program on “degree-defining experiences.” The program will pilot 17 projects across campus designed to inspire undergraduate students and spark the kind of optimism that can shape their time at UC Santa Cruz and their future careers.
The Humanities Institute (THI)
The Humanities Institute (THI) offers undergraduate students fellowship opportunities, including positions to edit and assemble writing from incarcerated writers with organizations like Prison Journalism Project.
Success Stories
As an undergraduate at UC Santa Cruz, Caitlyn Nojiri led a study exploring how cosmic radiation from a distant supernova may have influenced virus evolution in Africa’s Lake Tanganyika millions of years ago. Her research, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, built on work with mentors and programs that support students from nontraditional backgrounds in astrophysics. Nojiri’s findings earned her an invitation to present at a national seminar-an unusual honor for an undergraduate. She is now applying to graduate programs in astrophysics.
As an undergraduate at UC Santa Cruz, Alec Soronow developed Bell Jar, an AI-powered tool that streamlines brain mapping, reducing weeks of manual work to just days. Working in Professor Euiseok Kim’s lab, Soronow combined computational skills with neuroscience research, ultimately publishing his work in eNeuro and making the software freely available to researchers.
Jennifer Valadez (Crown ’24, Environmental Science) dedicated her UC Santa Cruz undergraduate research to finding sustainable climate solutions through carbon sequestration in California’s coastal prairies. Focusing on restoration at Younger Lagoon Reserve, she examined how revitalizing these unique ecosystems can enhance their ability to store carbon and reduce atmospheric carbon emissions.
Resources for Finding Opportunities
Discover exciting research opportunities with the UC Santa Cruz Undergraduate Research Database-the ultimate resource for finding the perfect project!
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