Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program

Undergraduate research offers students a unique opportunity to apply knowledge in a meaningful, real-world context to solve problems and explore issues no one has ever addressed before. Students doing undergraduate research also have the chance to develop deeper relationships with faculty and graduate students and to add a résumé item that will make them stand out to both graduate schools and potential employers.

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) facilitates research experiences for undergraduates across all disciplines. UROP creates initiatives to encourage students to participate in knowledge creation and research enterprise with Georgia Tech's world-class faculty. Students may participate in laboratory, scientific, or computing research, or they may be involved in new discoveries in literature, social sciences, architecture, or business. Undergraduate students can participate in part-time or full-time research for course credit or pay. Opportunities are available Institute-wide, within specific colleges and schools, or in interdisciplinary settings. Additional opportunities include the President's Undergraduate Research Awards (PURA), Research Option, spring symposia, and research best practices workshops and training sessions. Students may also be interested in participating in the Student Advisory Board for Undergraduate Research (SABUR) or in Georgia Tech’s new Undergraduate Research Journal, The Tower.

For information on how to participate, visit www.undergradresearch.gatech.edu.

The Research Option

The Research Option offers students the opportunity for an in-depth, longer-term research experience that culminates in a final paper or thesis. While the exact requirements for a research option vary by academic unit, students typically take the following steps:

  1. Write a research proposal.
  2. Complete at least nine units of undergraduate research.
    1. Over at least two, preferably three, terms.
    2. Research may be for either pay or credit (specific option plans differ by department).
      1. For research for pay to count towards the Research Option, you must register for an audit-only class (2698 or 4698 in most but not all academic units).
  3. Take the class LCC 4700 "Writing an Undergraduate Thesis" during the thesis-writing semester.
  4. Write an undergraduate thesis/report of research on their findings.

For more information on specific plans and a list of participating schools, visit http://undergradresearch.gatech.edu/research_option.