Participating in research will usually earn you credit for your work. Course credit can be applied as a free or technical elective for research. Courses described as Independent or Individual Study in your major can be used as a technical elective. You must sign up with a faculty sponsor/mentor as the instructor of record and each professor has a respective course reference number (CRN).
The Certificate in Undergraduate Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR). This certificate has been established to create a framework by which the university recognizes student achievement in undergraduate research. Although research for undergraduates can take many forms and sometimes be given for academic credit, this certificate program is meant to highlight those students who make research central to their academic experiences at the University of Illinois.
By participating in this program, you will earn an added credential that you can present to employers and graduate schools. Completion of the certificate will not appear on the your transcripts, but you can add it to your resumes. OUR will provide you with a printed document signifying completion of the certificate requirements.
Students may also receive funding to do research on or off-campus. Depending on the availability of funding and the funding sources, undergraduate researchers may receive hourly pay, scholarships, or stipends. Faculty members may offer paid research opportunities to undergraduate students. Certain undergraduate research programs provide scholarships or stipends to help defray the cost associated with doing research on campus. Most off-campus opportunities provide stipends to participants of their undergraduate research programs.
See our Resources page to find available scholarship and grants.
