Undergraduate Student Research

If you want to receive academic credit (294/494) for your undergraduate research work, complete the Research Credit Request form after meeting with a faculty member, visiting their lab or research group, and possibly participating in their work in a limited capacity.

If you are compensated with pay, you should not register for credit. Additionally, you should follow the internship registration process if you need credit for IST 495.

Research Credit Request Form

When you meet with your faculty member, you should come to an agreement on the following items, which are required to complete the Research Credit Request Form:

• Type of Research (Honors Thesis or Lab Contribution)

  • If you are in the Schreyer Honors College, you may choose to complete research credits as part of your honors thesis process.

  • All other students should select "Lab Contribution."

• Area of Study

  • Choose the area of study that best matches your research, based on guidance from your faculty research adviser.

• Level of Engagement

  • 294 is for students beginning their research experience and may be taken at any undergraduate academic level.

  • 494 is typically for third- or fourth-year students who have been recognized by their faculty research adviser as capable of making meaningful contributions to the research group.

  • 494H is for Schreyer Honors College students completing their honors thesis with their registered honors thesis adviser.

• Nature of the Research Activity

  • You will need to submit a brief paragraph detailing the work you will be doing.

• Number of Credits

  • Generally, 45 hours of effort equals 1 credit, per University policy.

  • Refer to the University Bulletin for more details.

• Grading Scale (Letter Grade or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)

  • Schreyer Honors College students must receive letter grades.

  • For all others, the faculty member determines the grading scale.

  • Letter grades provide more detailed assessment and may be more appropriate for certain situations.

  • Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (SAT/UNSAT) is most commonly chosen, especially for limited contributions where letter grades may be difficult to differentiate.

Your faculty member must approve the registration form before the research course is added to your schedule. Once your request is submitted, your faculty member will receive an email and must respond to confirm your registration.

Finding a research project of interest to you depends on your initiative. Although some students find good research project opportunities through the University's undergraduate research posting system, many find a good fit by taking the time to find out about faculty members' projects and making personal connections during office hours. Explore our listing of research faculty and the college's core research areas to learn about current research projects and faculty working in different areas.

If you find a faculty member working in an area that interests you, email them your resume, cover letter, and a statement of interest to see if they have opportunities for undergraduate students to support their work.

Once you have secured your research position, assistance with finding scholarly resources is available from the IST Research Consultant, Carmen Cole: ccc143@psu.edu

• Office of Undergraduate Education
• Research Opportunity Postings
• Undergraduate Exhibition
• Erickson Discovery Grants
• Research Conference Travel Support