Prospective Students

  1. Undergraduate
  2. Research & Internships
  3. Research
  4. Academic Credit for Research

Academic Credit for Research

Research for Credit

 BIOSC 1901, 1903 or 1904 [Honors]; S/NC grades only

Students can earn academic credit for research if it is unpaid, by working 5 hours per week for each credit. You may register for 1-6 credits in a term, using up to 24 credits  towards your 120 degree credits required by the School of Arts and Sciences. Typically, 1 - 3 credits per term is earned, except perhaps for Seniors who have completed most of their requirements and wish to devote considerable time to a research project. 1 credit = 5 hours/week in the lab. Therefore, 2 research credits = 10 hours/week and 3 research credits = 15 hours/week in the lab. Students are responsible for paying for the research credits as they would any other course.

  • Research credits CANNOT be used as BIOSC electives within any of the majors in the Department of Biological Sciences.
  • All BIOSC research credits are earned using the S/NC (Satisfactory/No Credit) grade option. Letter grades cannot be earned for BIOSC research credits. You can read about the S/NC option here.
  • Honors credits are reserved for students who have applied for graduation with Departmental Honors. See the Departmental Honors page for more information.
  • If you would like to work in a lab outside of the Department, you may still receive credits by arranging for a Biological Sciences Departmental co-sponsor, who will work with you and your "external" sponsor to verify your participation and monitor your progress. You can determine if a faculty member is willing to sponsor your work by contacting them and providing details of your work.
  • If you are being paid to work in any research lab, you cannot receive these BIOSC credits. However, note that Departmental Honors can still be awarded if research is done in this context. Be sure to coordinate your efforts - and your paperwork - with both your mentor and the Advising Office if this is the case.

To gain credit for undergraduate research, you must complete the appropriate form - available online. Once completed, submit the form according to the instructions on the Bio Advising website. You cannot self-enroll in research credits because department consent is required.

BIOSC 1901/1903/1904 forms can be found here. 

Information on how to enroll in research credits can be found here. 

 

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If you’re a freshman and not sure about research, get started with the introductory academic research lab courses.