With the Georgia Tech Research Option, students are afforded a unique opportunity for intensive, hands-on research experiences as undergraduates. This opportunity provides students with several semesters of research on one project, culminating in an original thesis or research paper. Research Option students work one-on-one with faculty members; and students are encouraged to present their final work at professional conferences or seek publication.

Students who graduate with the Research Option will have opportunities to extend their communication and writing skills, increase their knowledge in a specific area of emphasis, and, depending on the research project, learn either independent research or teamwork skills. Students will be exposed to how research projects are created and sustained and what research within their field of study really entails. While the option appears on the student’s transcript as a special designation, the true benefit of the program comes from the immersion in a specific independent research topic, interaction with peers from other disciplines also completing research, and special instruction in small classes on research-related skills and tools.

While the Research Option is open to all students, it is specifically tailored for Academically-track students, those who are considering graduate school, or Professionally-track students, those who are planning a career in research and development. Interested students need to have support from a faculty member to participate in the program. Once a student has faculty support, they must complete the online application. 

We currently have 24 schools participating in the program and just his past fall, the new Neuroscience program has joined.  The popularity of this program has grown so if your student is interested in receiving this designation, they need to sign up earlier in their Georgia Tech career.

The exact requirements for research option vary by academic unit, however, students typically:

• Create an independent research project and written proposal for the work planned,
• Complete at least 9 units of undergraduate research (over at least two, preferably three terms),
• Take a sequence of two 1-hour writing courses in support of various aspects of the option:
  • LMC 4701: Undergraduate Research Proposal Writing offers students support and tools as they write the proposal required for the program (This course requires you take the prerequisite of ENGL 1102.)
  • LMC 4702: Undergraduate Research Thesis Writing supports students during their final semester of research as they complete the thesis and present it to the faculty of their school (This course requires you to take the prerequisite of ENGL 1102 and LMC 4701.) , and
• Write an undergraduate thesis/report of research on their findings

For additional information on the Research Option, a list of participating schools, and additional resources, visit http://urop.gatech.edu/research-option.

For more information on undergraduate research and the research option, email urop@gatech.edu.