student research FAQs

Think you might be interested in getting involved in research at SCU? Learn more here!

The basics:

Student researchers work under the supervision of a research-active faculty member in our department. Typically, the faculty member comes up with the ideas for the experiment and teaches the student all of the necessary skills to do the work. The types of experiments you might do varies widely from one lab to another.

Who is eligible?

There is no explicit prerequisite for research: you may start as early as your first year. Individual faculty may want you to have had some class as background to participating in their work—inquire with the faculty directly.

Is research required for the chemistry or biochemistry major?

No, research is not a requirement unless you’re going for the ACS-certified degree track. Talk to your major advisor if you have questions about the differences between the tracks.

Is it the right thing for me?

Maybe. It’s often a big time commitment (more on that below), so you’ll need to think about all of the things that you need to do and want to do before graduation and see where research fits into that. If you want to go to graduate school in chemistry or biochemistry or if you’re considering that path strongly, you’ll want to have some research experience for sure. If you’re not grad school-bound, research may be useful to you too. Talking with your major advisor and/or faculty engaged in research can help you prioritize and explore options.

What are most professors looking for in a research student?

First, you DON'T have to be one of the best students in the class to get a research position! Students at every academic level should consider research opportunities.

Typically, we’re looking for:

• students who can commit to doing research over multiple quarters (and likely a summer too); it’s more rare to find a one-quarter or even one-year research opportunity, although these may exist.
• Students who are enthusiastic about learning in a new environment.
• Students who are ready to be reliable and responsible.

Do I get paid or get class credit?

That depends on whom you work for and when. Some faculty can pay you for the time you work in the lab from their grants. Otherwise, you can receive credit for research work through classes in our curriculum, CHEM182, 183, and 184. See more info on each of these below.

• CHEM182: This is a variable unit class (1-3 units). Students can sign up for it as many times as they want/need to. Often, a research faculty member will ask that you commit a certain number of hours per week for each unit that you’re enrolled. Some faculty may ask that you submit reports on your work.
• CHEM183: This is typically a senior research course (and counts as an upper division elective). It’s 3 units and a student may take it once. Some faculty may have requirements that you write a report or do another presentation and/or summary of your research upon finishing this course.
• CHEM184: Another senior research course that counts as an upper division elective and is 3 units. A student may take it once. Faculty usually require a written report and/or presentation of your research.

What about summers?

Again, it’ll depend on whom you work with and when. Summers tend to be a very productive time for research for both faculty and students. Faculty may be able to secure funding to pay students for their work over the summer, or students may be able to win competitive fellowships for summer stipends.

I want to get started in a lab. What do I do next?

Contact faculty directly to inquire about their projects, space and resources. Tell the faculty member:

• Who you are. What's your major and when do you plan to graduate?
• What do you think you might do after graduation? It's a big question, and you don't have to have a plan written in stone, but what are you considering?
• What kind of time do you think you could allocate to research? Consider time during the academic year and during the summer(s).
• What interests you about doing research? Be specific if you know something about the faculty member's research projects.
• Think about what other science faculty might be able to give a positive recommendation for your work in a lecture or lab class.