Research Opportunities

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has classified the University of Florida as Doctoral/Research Universities-Extensive. This means that the University of Florida is committed to graduate education through the doctorate. It also means that there are opportunities for undergraduates to participate in research.

Research interests can be pursued formally or informally. Informally, a student can contact any faculty member with research pursuits in a common area of interest. If the faculty member has an active project, they may invite you to participate with a research team consisting of undergraduate and graduate students and faculty. Read about the departments centers and labs as well as individual faculty to learn about current research topics. If you find a topic of interest, contact that faculty member directly and set up a meeting to discuss research possibilities.

To pursue a research interest more formally, consider the following two programs from the University of Florida as well as the NSF REU program, all highlighted below.

Honors Thesis

As defined by the registrar, graduating Magna Cum Laude or Summa Cum Laude requires the completion of a research project. The college of engineering further stipulates this as a thesis, research project, or creative work.

To complete a thesis, a supervisory committee must be formed, the thesis must be written, and finally, it must be defended in an oral examination. The committee must be chaired by a faculty member in your department. Two additional faculty members should be appointed to the committee, with one from an external department. The completed work, after being approved by the committee, department chair and associate dean, is then submitted to be archived by the university. Forms to apply for a thesis can be found on the College of Engineering Student Affairs site.

University Scholars Program

The purpose of the University Scholars Program is to introduce University of Florida undergraduate students to the exciting opportunities of working closely with UF faculty to pursue fundamental research and scholarly activities, thereby gaining valuable insight into how new knowledge is created and developed and how existing knowledge is focused on important problems.

This program will permit selected undergraduate students, who will be designated as University Scholars, to work one-on-one with a chosen faculty member on a research/creative project of mutual interest. From such interaction, the student will take away an understanding of and appreciation for the scholarly method, an experience that will be invaluable in many career opportunities, including graduate and professional schools. Students in all areas of undergraduate studies are encouraged to apply.

NSF Research Experience

The National Science Foundation sponsors research experiences at a number of institutions throughout the country, generally in the summer. The link above lists all active sites in a myriad of disciplines. Those of interest to ISE majors would include Engineering, Mathematical Sciences, and Cyberinrastructure, among others. Once you have found a program of interest, you are urged to contact the relevant program director.