Undergraduate Research

Nurturing the spark of innovation from the onset

As a world-class research institution, UCLA Samueli offers numerous opportunities for undergraduate engineering students to experience the research process under the supervision of faculty who are at the leading edge of technological innovation. 

STUDENT RESEARCH PROGRAMS

Designed primarily for lower-division and first-quarter transfer students, UCLA’s Student Research Program (SRP) enables undergraduates to develop their research skills under the direction of a faculty mentor, while also helping to define their academic interests.

Undergraduate Research Program
The purpose of the Undergraduate Research Program is to support undergraduate students currently conducting research in communicating and publishing their work.

Research Group and Supervised Individual Research
UCLA Samueli undergraduates can earn upper-division course credit for research under the supervision of engineering faculty, either as part of a research group or in supervised individual research under the guidance of a faculty mentor. 

SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAMS

UCLA also offers several summer research programs for engineering undergraduates, including, but not limited to, the following:

UCLA Amgen Scholars Program
The Amgen Scholars Program is a national program to increase learning and networking opportunities for students committed to pursuing a career in science or engineering.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program
The Summer Undergraduate Research Program is an umbrella organization that administers and scaffolds summer undergraduate research opportunities within UCLA Samueli. We currently coordinate several programs, including the Interactive Systems, Functional Nanomaterials, Engineering Faculty Lab REU Supplement, and the Electrical & Computer Engineering Fast Track to Success Summer Scholars Program. In the past two years, the program has been run virtually, but we hope to run in-person programs in the future.

SPUR
The UCLA Summer Programs for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) offers upper division undergraduate students with the opportunity to work closely with faculty mentors on research projects. These programs are designed for students who want to learn more about the graduate school experience, and possibly pursue an academic career in teaching and research.

NanoCER
The Nanosystems Chemistry and Engineering Research (NanoCER) program is a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI). Undergraduates interested in chemistry and engineering will learn how to be scientists and engineers by participating in teams that develop new materials, devices and applications of nanotechnology.