After UROP

If you are a student who would like to continue to be engaged in the research process following the conclusion of your UROP experience, we strongly encourage you to continue to pursue scholarly research and intellectual endeavors.  UROP recommends the following to help you further your knowledge and acquire new learning skills:

To continue through the UROP pipeline:

Current first year students who are completing their first year in UROP and who will have sophomore status beginning Fall term may reapply to UROP for a second year experience.  Students who choose to reapply are strongly encouraged to participate in the UROP Research Scholars Program for their second year. This research program is designed for UROP students who have completed one year of UROP and who will have second year status at the beginning of Fall term. 

•   Reapply to UROP:     Read more about the Research Scholars Program

• Talk to your current UROP Faculty sponsor about future research possibilities.

• Summer Fellowships:  Consider applying to one of UROP’s summer fellowship programs.  These programs are designed to offer students a full time, three month research experience and a chance to explore in-depth a topic of individual interest.  The programs are offered on the University of Michigan campus during the summer months.  Students must develop a research proposal and complete an extensive application.  Read more about UROP’s Summer Fellowship Programs

Additional research opportunities to pursue:

LS&A Internship

An LS&A internship is a short-term work experience that provides an undergraduate student the opportunity to gain valuable insights and “hands on” training in a professional setting.  The internship can be paid or unpaid.   As a UROP student you have an advantage when pursuing an internship since your research experience has given you the opportunity to translate course work into applied knowledge in the work force.  Students are able to seek internships at the following University of Michigan offices:

• UM Career Center
• International Center/Overseas Opportunities Center
• Office of International Programs  
• Alumni Network

Some academic departments have set up special courses for internship credit, which they award concentrators only!  These include Communication Studies, Economics, English, and the Romance Languages (please check individually with Department).

Students must have a resume, cover letter, and a faculty letter of recommendation. Note: UROP participants are strongly encouraged to acquire a letter of recommendation from their faculty sponsor at the end of the UROP research year.

Independent Study: Independent study credit is an arrangement made with an instructor to complete academic work not normally offered through traditional classroom instruction.  In most cases, the independent study is an advanced research project within a student’s concentration and/or area of academic interest.  Students are “independent” thinkers and in consultation with their faculty sponsor who they have chosen to work with, students draft a proposal that explains in detail what they will be researching and studying, and its relevancy to an area of academic study.  Students literally “create” their study.  Contact your academic advisor for information on how to set up an independent study.

Honors and Research

Many UROP alumni become interested in doing an honors thesis after developing research skills and interests through the program.  If conducting research for an honors thesis interests you, consult an academic advisor in your department to learn about departmental honors requirements.  Graduation with honors requires the completion of a Senior Honors thesis in all departments except Math and Computer Science and the College of Engineering. Thesis work is typically done under the direction of a professor who shares the student’s interest. Work on Honors theses typically begins in the junior year. Often, UROP students continue to work with their UROP faculty sponsor and develop an independent research project, which then becomes their honors thesis. Some UROP students begin their honors theses work during a summer fellowship program.

Many departments require their honors concentrators to register for special seminars and independent study research courses. Other departments do not have these courses, so their students can choose to enroll in Honors 490.   Deadlines and procedures for evaluating senior theses again vary by department. Some departments have a committee that evaluates all theses, whereas others are based primarily on the judgement of the student's advisor and the departmental honors advisor.  

For more information consult Honors Program Handbook  or your school, college, or departmental webpage.

Summer Research Internships

Summer research internships are available in all disciplines to undergraduate students all across the United States.  Most are sponsored by government departments and organizations and are hosted by universities and national laboratories. Research internships consist of individual students working with a faculty mentor on an independent research problem. Students conduct research full time (40 hours per week) for 8 – 12 weeks, attend weekly seminars and learn more about graduate school study and career opportunities. These programs usually pay a stipend, and provide travel expense to the research site as well as housing.  Students usually participate in this type of internship in the summer between their sophomore or junior year. UROP maintains a database of summer research internships which is available for use only by UROP students.  Students can also identify summer programs through the UM Career Center and by searching the internet.

Research Scholarships

The Sigma XI Grants in Aid of Research program provides funding for undergraduate student research projects in all disciplines of science and engineering, including the social sciences. Students may receive grants of up to $1000.  Application deadlines are March 15 and October 15.  Application information and forms are available at www.sigmaxi.org under the "Programs" section.

See Also:

UM Campus Resources of Research Internship Opportunities for Undergraduate Students