Maximizing Your Experience

Participating in research as an undergraduate student will provide many inherent benefits on its own. However, there are several ways you can get even more out of your experience by participating in supplementary programs and presenting your work.

UA Undergraduate Research Engagement Experience

The UA Undergraduate Research Engagement Experience is designed to supplement and provide additional recognition of your research work. Participants are asked to meet regularly with a mentor in their lab to reflect upon their work and skill development and at the end of their work provide a final deliverable showcasing their research. These activities will help you better communicate your research experience, the skills you developed, and your scientific knowledge to potential employers, graduate programs, and your peers. Successful completion of this experience will also include a notation on your transcript signifying the completion of an engaged learning experience. 

Entering Research Program

The Entering Research Program program consists of two 1 unit courses in the Fall and Spring semesters and is designed for students beginning research in a STEM field. This program will teach you the skills required to be part of science projects with UA faculty and connect you with peers going through the same thing. 

Presenting Your Work

Presenting your findings / work is an essential part of any research project. Most often you will compile a poster summarizing your work to present at a poster session or conference. There are numerous poster sessions affiliated with different colleges, departments, and programs across campus that take place each year. Your academic department or research supervisor will likely be able to refer you to the most appropriate session for you. There's also the annual student show case organized the Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC) which is open to students from across campus to present their work.  

You may also want to consider attending a scientific conference to present your work. Every major field of study is likely to have one or more conference every year where academics come together to present their findings and network with colleagues. Ask your professors or research supervisors about the conferences which relate to your field which may be open to undergraduate students. There are also several national conferences focused specifically on undergraduate research, you can find out more about these via the Council on Undergraduate Research's conference page.

Finally, you may have the option to publish your work in a scholarly journal. If you ever get this opportunity you should definitely take it, as being published as an undergraduate can be a pretty big deal and significantly bolster your resume / CV. Most fields of study will have their own journal(s), so ask your professors or research supervisors about the prominent journals in your area. Although UA does not currently have its own undergraduate student journal, many other universities do - and you may be able to publish your work through them. A list of journals focused on undergraduate research can be found on the Council of Undergraduate Research website as well.