Undergraduate Research

Performing undergraduate research is one of the very best ways to make the most out of your college experience. It will empower you to take the tools you learn in the classroom and apply them to real-world problems, all while building invaluable mentoring relationships with faculty in a professional setting.

Students are encouraged to directly contact the faculty members whose ongoing projects coincide with the student's own interests. Our department has a wide range of ongoing research activities that provide students with an opportunity to learn important new research techniques and skills. There are opportunities to conduct research during the summer as well as the academic year.

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Senior research project

Most physics majors complete a senior research project as part of their Oregon State University Writing Intensive Courses. Work with physics professors or get involved in interdisciplinary research while writing a thesis and participating in research.

Learn about the senior thesis

Learn about senior thesis projects

Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE)

The College of Science Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) offers scholarship support so students can make time for research. Take advantage of hundreds of summer research opportunities to work alongside faculty for an engaging, hands-on learning experience.

Learn about about SURE

Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and the Arts (URSA)

URSA connects early-career students (first-year, second-year students, and transfer students in their first year) with dedicated faculty mentors. Take advantage of URSA's many resources and participate in URSA Engage.

Learn more about URSA

PH 401 — Research

Research projects are usually under the supervision of a Physics Department faculty member, but physics-related research projects with faculty supervisors from other departments are common. In either case, register for PH401 (Research). Off-campus internships or REU projects (Research Experience for Undergraduates) are excellent avenues for conducting research. If you exercise this option to fulfill the research/thesis requirement, you must discuss it with the thesis course instructor before you go. It is important that the off-campus mentor agrees ahead of time that the project is of appropriate scope and is willing to keep in contact through the year - see the link below to information for thesis advisors. You must also arrange to have an OSU faculty member be a local mentor.

Students should begin their research early, using freshman and sophomore years to explore research opportunities. Visit faculty members in their offices, browse their websites, talk to other students in the department, look at lists of former projects, and attend presentations in the department to find out what type of research would be interesting to you. Find out about internships and summer research opportunities on and off campus. Organize meetings through SPS to educate yourselves about possibilities, invite faculty to speak about their work. You will gain the most from your research experience if it is sustained over a longer period, but you should plan to be working on a project no later than the spring of your junior year.

The physics major requires 3 units of PH 401 (Research). There are separate sections for each research advisor. A typical timeline for PH 401 research is 1 unit in the Spring of the junior year and 1 unit in each of fall and winter of the senior year. If you do research off-campus, the PH 401 requirement may be waived; discuss with your academic advisor.