´ºË®ÌÃÊÓƵ

Undergraduates may register for an independent study project under the supervision of one of our faculty members (CHEN 2840, 3840, or 4840). As a general rule, a three-credit-hour project requires nine hours of research work per week; this research work cannot be paid. The independent study course counts as a technical elective.

These opportunities allow for individual contact with faculty and graduate students, providingÌýa hands-on educational experience that cannot be obtained in the traditional classroom setting. Undergraduates are strongly encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities, especially if they are interested in graduate school or a career in scientific research.

Note that independent studies require:

• Weekly or biweekly meetings with your supervisor/mentor
• A three to fiveÌýpage report/paper submittedÌýby the end of the independent study
• Not required but recommended: an oral or poster presentation

TheÌýÌýcan be found under the "Forms" section of the College of Engineering and Applied Science Academic Advising website.

The department offers a Senior Thesis Option as part of its course work. Senior Thesis students conduct research for 10 hours per week for two consecutive semesters at twoÌýcredit hours per semester on a research project under the supervision of a faculty member. The Senior Thesis is listed as CHEN 4010 (first semester) and CHEN 4020 (second semester). Students complete a poster and oral presentation during CHEN 4010; they write a thesis report and give a final oral presentation in CHEN 4020.

Important note:Ìýa student CANNOT be paid for Senior Thesis research hours, whether it be pay through UROP, BSI, DLA, the research advisor, or some other source.

In order to qualify for Senior Thesis, students must:

1. Develop a project that is endorsed by a faculty research advisor.
2. Be a senior and have completed the junior-level CHEN courses.
3. Compute your cumulative major GPA (computed using only CHEN/BIEN classes) by the end of junior year to determine which category below applies to you.
   • Students with a major GPA greater than or equal to 3.7 will be administratively enrolled and can opt out of UG Lab (CHEN 4130 or BIEN 4810).
   • Students with a major GPA below 3.7 must take UG Lab (CHEN 4130 or BIEN 4810). If they wish to also take Senior Thesis for Tech Elective credit, they can submit the two documents below to their academic advisor.ÌýThe Associate Chair for Undergraduate Education will decide whether or not the student can enroll in Senior Thesis based on the strength of these two documents.
     1. A personal statement about why you wish to complete a Senior Thesis and how it will help in your professional development.
     2. A strong letter of recommendation from your research advisor advocating for you to complete a Senior Thesis.

If you are interested in taking Senior Thesis, please follow these steps:

1. Visit a faculty research advisor to discuss the possibility of doing a Senior Thesis.
   1. Ensure the faculty member supports your Senior Thesis project.
   2. Determine the rough aims for the project.
   3. Ensure the research advisor knows they will need to help grade a progress report and the final thesis report.
   4. If you wish to work withÌýsomeone outside the department, please email theÌýSenior Thesis AdvisorÌýor if they are unavailable,Ìý.
2. Once you have obtained a commitment from the faculty member to serve as yourÌýresearch advisor, complete theÌýSenior Thesis Application.
3. Once your Senior Thesis Application has been approved, DebÌýRenshaw will register you for the class.

Questions? Contact theÌýSenior Thesis AdvisorÌýorÌý.Ìý

Even if no paid positions are available and class credit is not an option, volunteering in the lab can still provide valuable experience. This is especially true for freshmen, sophomoresÌýor those with little to no research or work experience.

How to Get Started

1. Talk to upperclassmen about their research experiences.
2. Peruse theÌýResearch by AreaÌýwebpage toÌýdetermine which research areaÌýinterestÌýyou.
3. After identifyingÌýa research area, read more about the ChBE professors working in that field by clicking on their names. To demonstrate your depth of knowledge later, read the abstract/introduction of one orÌýtwo of their papers.
4. If possible, talk to graduate students working in the labs of interest to you. Learn about their projects and whether there is need for an undergraduate researcher.
5. Meet with Career Services to polishÌýyour resume.
6. Send an email with your resume to the professor(s) of interest. Indicate why you would like to work in theirÌýlab and whetherÌýyou would consider starting out without pay. Ask to schedule a short appointment.
7. If desired, follow up a few days later with another email or office visit to introduce yourself briefly. Do not be discouraged if multiple follow-ups are required.Ìý