Research Opportunities
Student Tips
Get the inside scoop from a current student about research opportunities.
One of the hallmarks of a Berkeley undergraduate education is the ability to get involved and immersed in research. We are the only university to offer undergraduates the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research as early their freshman year and outside of their major; 60% of Berkeley seniors have assisted faculty with research or creative projects.
We are the only university to offer undergraduates the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research as early as their freshman year and outside of their major.
Three main libraries (Doe, Moffitt, and the Bancroft), 18 subject-specialty libraries, and 11 affiliated libraries (with special collections) make up the UC Berkeley Library system. UC Berkeley is home to the fourth largest library in the United States, Bancroft Library, which includes the Mark Twain Papers and Project, the Regional Oral History Office, the University of California Archives, the History of Science and Technology Program, and the Pictorial Collection. Berkeley's research collection is ranked as one of the top public research university libraries in the country and has proven to be an invaluable resource to all students at Berkeley.
Our vital research community infuses the classroom, where new knowledge and breakthroughs enliven the learning process. In every department there are opportunities for student-initiated research. You also can advance your research skills by assisting on faculty-initiated research through the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program. Beyond traditional research, our latest program, Berkeley Connect, pairs undergraduate students with graduate student mentors in a semester-long, 1-credit program that includes advising, small-group discussions, and special events/excursions.
Examples of Undergraduate Research Opportunities
- Haas Scholars Program: 20 seniors from any department on campus engage in sustained research, field study or a creative project.
- Berkeley Summer Bioengineering Program: 20-25 undergrads from any department work in the Bioengineering Lab at UCB or UCSF.
- Townsend Center Research Apprenticeship: 12 students from the Humanities or Social Sciences work on faculty research projects.
- College of Engineering: approximately 85 students with interest or background in engineering apprentice for Engineering faculty member.
- Biology Scholars Program: promotes the success of students from economic, gender, ethnic and cultural groups historically underrepresented in the biological sciences.
- UC Berkeley Washington Center: opportunities for students from any discipline to work in Berkeley or Washington D.C. on political campaigns and providing insight into national policy making.
- Summer Research Opportunity Program: promotes access to graduate education among undergraduates who have been educationally or economically disadvantaged and who may not have had exposure to the academic environment of a major research university.
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