Undergraduate Research & National Scholarship Opportunities
Berkeley offers many opportunities for undergraduates to engage in research. This might take the form of supporting cutting-edge faculty research as an apprentice or designing your own project under faculty supervision. Berkeley students also successfully pursue a wide variety of nationally competitive scholarships each year.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH APPRENTICE PROGRAM (URAP)
URAP is an ideal place for students to begin exploring what research entails in different fields. Over 1,700 students participate in this program each semester, working with faculty from nearly every department and college campuswide. Students accepted into the program enroll for course credit, gaining skills and perspectives on the production of knowledge through hands-on work with their faculty mentors. Fall semester applications are due in early September, and spring semester applications are due in late January. Visit the URAP website for a current list of faculty projects.
SURF, HAAS SCHOLARS, UCDC, AND STRONACH BACCALAUREATE PRIZE
When students are ready to embark on research projects of their own design, the College of Letters and Science’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (SURF L&S) and the Haas Scholars Program offer fellowships that allow students to pursue independent research. UCDC enables students to spend a semester in Washington, D.C. to take courses, conduct research, and carry out an internship. The Judith Lee Stronach Baccalaureate Prize offers up to $25,000 for students to pursue creative and public service-oriented project of their own design after graduation. For information about these and other programs, visit the OURS website.
OURS National Scholarships Office
The Office of Undergraduate Research (OURS) National Scholarships Office facilitates the institutional nomination process for several nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships, such as the Rhodes, Truman, and Goldwater scholarships. We provide advising, workshops, and support to UC Berkeley students and eligible recent graduates pursuing these programs. Our website offers information on how to apply for these awards and addition to providing valuable resources on scholarships generally. Enrolled students may also subscribe to the scholarship newsletter. For more information, visit the OURS National Scholarships Office website.