Many students choose to pursue an undergraduate research experience for academic credit in order to apply their research experience to the required course work for their major(s). Please check with an MCB Advisor to determine how academic credit for research can be applied to the MCB major.

How to Get Involved in Research for Academic Credit:

1. To begin, identify several labs of interest in which you would like to conduct research. A good way to start the search for a lab is by investigating the MCB faculty page. Another database, is the Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP) Faculty website to learn more about faculty members who are interested in working with undergraduates; you do not have to be in the UBRP program in order to work in these individuals' labs. Also, students can access various department web sites through the main UA website. For example, if you are interested in molecular and cellular research being conducted at the Cancer Center, access the department website and read the faculty research descriptions. can be found at our website. Another site to investigate is the Graduate Studies in the Life Sciences website. Read recent publications to learn more about the labs that you find most interesting.

2. The next step is to contact the faculty with which you are interested in working. If you are interested in working with a MCB faculty member, please e-mail your professor of interest and attach a completed Student Profile. For non-MCB faculty, a phone call or detailed e-mail is an effective way to express interest in working in their lab. You can discuss why you want to work specifically in this lab, what experience you have (including lab courses you have taken), and the fact that you would like to work for academic credit.

3. If the faculty member is interested in having you work in his or her lab, arrange a time to meet with him or her personally. Download the Academic Credit for Undergraduate Research handout and Directed Research/Independent Study Approval Form in preparation for your meeting. You can also obtain these forms at the MCB Advising Office in Life Sciences South, Room 248.

4. Meet with the faculty member to find out about details of working in the lab. The faculty member will most likely ask you questions as well. You can discuss how much time you would spend in the lab, what you would be researching, who you would be working with, how you would be graded, and the researcher's expectations of you, in order to determine if this experience will be a good fit for you. In general, students work on a specific project under the guidance of a faculty member, spending 3 hours/week in the lab for each unit of academic credit during a 16-week semester. In most cases, students work at least 10 hours/week in the lab for 3 units of credit.

5. If there is mutual agreement for you to work in the lab, use the Academic Credit for Undergraduate Research handout as a guide to assist both of you in filling out the Directed Research/Independent Study Approval Form, which will enable you to register for your research units.

Perseverance pays off!
The key to getting involved in research is to never give up looking for a lab. There are good times, and more difficult times, to find a lab in which to work. Starting in mid-semester is usually a difficult time as most opportunities tend to fall at semester breaks. Availability during the summer is always a plus as is a commitment of more than one semester (providing the lab is a good match for both parties). If graduate school is your aim, let the faculty member know that your interest in research is more than a passing one.