Why Get Involved
Participation in research projects can significantly improve your chances of admittance into top graduate programs, make you a much more attractive employment candidate, and can allow you the chance to work one-on-one with faculty members putting classroom theory into practice. Even better, it gives you something to talk about during an interview.

When To Begin
Remember that as an undergraduate student you're welcome to participate in research regardless of your background or student level in the program. Undergraduate students are strongly encouraged to participate in research as early as possible in their careers. Ideally, you should start a research project during your sophomore year, but it is never too late or to early to start.

Where To Start
You can begin your search for an undergraduate research project by following the links to current projects on this page. There are plenty of project opportunities available at UCSD typically for academic credit, although in exceptional circumstances they can pay as well. Also, if you see information about a faculty member's research that interests you, feel free to contact them directly.

Faculty and Research Scientists may require that you complete some prep-work before you are accepted as a research assistant. This prep-work may include the following: reading papers, completing prerequisite course work, attending research meetings or seminars, and enrolling in the following CSE courses (most students take a project for course credit although in some cases funding may be available):

• CSE 191 (read papers, complete prerequisite course work and attend research meetings or seminars)
• CSE 198 (work on project directed by faculty or research scientist) You must have a 2.5 GPA and 90 units completed
• CSE 199 (research assistant) You must have a 2.5 GPA and 90 units completed