The Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) and the College of Engineering provide the opportunity for students to receive course credit for participating in faculty-supervised research.

Once a student has secured a research position and faculty mentor, students can begin the process of registering for research course credit.

Students interested in enrolling in engineering research credit should follow the below application process. Applications are due the 3rd day of drop/add for each semester.

Engineering Research Credit Enrollment

This application is for undergraduate engineering students looking to receive course credit for research under a UGA faculty member. This application can only be used for courses with an engineering-related prefix (AENG, BCHE, BIOE, CSEE, CVLE, ELEE, ENVE, MCHE). Students looking to enroll in HONS, or other departmental prefix courses should consult with CURO or other departments directly.

Application Instructions: Students should complete the questions in this form in collaboration with their faculty mentor. Following your submission of the application, requests for approvals will be sent to your academic advisor, faculty mentor, and school chair.

1. Receive an offer
All engineering research courses require that students have already secured a research position and identified a faculty mentor prior to application and course enrollment.

2. Add your co-op as an “Experience” in your Handshake account

• Log in to your account at uga.joinhandshake.com
• Select “Career Center”
• Click the “Experiences” tab, and then the “Submit an Experience” button
• Select the appropriate “Engineering Research Credit” template
• Complete the form and click “Submit an Experience”

3. Receive necessary approvals

• Research course enrollment requires the approval of the Director of Experiential Programs, the student’s Academic Advisor, and the School Chair. These individuals evaluate a student’s eligibility for research and the relevance of the experience to a particular degree program
  before approval.
• Students will need to enter the email address for the appropriate School Chair over their requested research course on their application.
  • Dr. Fred Beyette – CSEE & ELEE
  • Dr. Bjorn Birgisson – AENG, CVLE, ENVE, MCHE
  • Dr. Mark Eiteman – BCHE & BIOE
  • Dr. Julie Martin – ENED
• Approval process is automatically started when a student submits their experience in
  Handshake.
• Please plan for approvals to take at least 2-3 business days.

5. Add the course to your schedule in Athena
After an experience is approved, students will be sent registration instructions and
information on their research course. Students will then be able to add the course to their
schedule in Athena.

All students enrolled in research credit are strongly encouraged to participate in the CURO Symposium.

A limited number of research awards may be available each year through CURO.

• CURO Summer Fellowships
• CURO Research Awards
• Research Award applications are due to the CURO office, 203 Moore College.
• CURO Assistantship Application Deadlines:
  • FALL – due by June 1
  • SPRING – due by November 1
  • SUMMER – due by April 1
• All CURO assistantship students must participate in the CURO Symposium.

The University of Georgia’s employment site provides postings of temporary laboratory helper and research assistant positions which are typically paid by the hour. To review these postings go to ugajobsearch.com and select Search Temporary Postings.

Some students are not interested in receiving course credit and do not receive funding for research. In this case, students are still able to participate in undergraduate research. This experience will not only provide valuable skill development but will also be an excellent addition to a résumé.

Visit the CURO Research Opportunities page, where you will find opportunities to engage in undergraduate research and connect with those who have similar academic interests.

Reach out to our faculty. If you do not see opportunities that you are interested in on the research site, then review engineering faculty areas of research expertise. Once you have identified a faculty member you would like to reach out to, find their e-mail address and review this advice from the UGA Career Center for connecting with faculty.

Each year, the UGA Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) awards thirty Summer Research Fellowships to support University of Georgia undergraduates interested in pursuing intensive, immersive, faculty-mentored research during the summer. Check here for details.

NSF funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites program. An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. The UGA College of Engineering is proud to host an REU in Nanotechnology and Biomedicine as well as a Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates (REEU), Modern Tools and Technologies for Food  and Agriculture Production. You can find additional details here.

Pathways to Science provides a comprehensive list of summer research opportunities nation-wide that you can apply for. Check here for details.