Undergraduate Research

 

Updated January 4th, 2024

CSE undergraduate students are encouraged to collaborate on projects and research with faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students.  Participating in research allows students to:

  • Get a hands-on experience
  • Make connections with faculty
  • Explore a specific area of interest
  • Develop academic and career goals
  • Prepare for education beyond an undergraduate degree

Steps to Start Your Research

1. Decide which area of research you are most interested in.

  • Think about what classes you have enjoyed or what area of Computer Science you are interested in learning more about.

2. Find a faculty member with similar research interests.

  • Review the Faculty & Research page on the CSE website to learn more about the faculty’s research areas.
  • Talk to current undergrad and graduate students about their research and how they got involved.
  • Visit with CSE Faculty during the Undergraduate Committee's Advising & Mentorship hours to discuss areas of research within the CSE Department.
  • Take a class from the faculty member you would like to do research with.

3. Meet with your potential faculty advisor.

  • Prepare for your meeting by learning about the faculty member’s research ahead of time, such as reading their research papers.
  • Bring your resume, transcript, samples of projects and be prepared to discuss why you are interested in working with that faculty advisor and what you bring to the research team.

4. Begin your research!

CSE Faculty Projects and Programs for Undergraduates

Early Research Scholars Program

 A team-based research apprentice experience for computer science and engineering majors in their second year of the program.  Students work in teams of four, and each team is matched with an active research project in the department.  Students learn about research in computer science and then propose and carry out an independent research project over the course of an academic year. Find more information here.

Engineers for Exploration

Engineers For Exploration believes in engineering solutions that extend beyond technology itself to drive the future of exploration. Our projects span aquatic, terrestrial, and aerial environments, opening new perspectives of the planet. With international collaborators in ecology, conservation, and archaeology, we apply remote imaging technologies to extend the scope of human knowledge  Find more information here.

Triton Research & Experiential Learning Scholars (TRELS)

TRELS' specific program objectives are to: Introduce students to what experiential learning looks like in their field and promote an understanding that experiential learning encompasses more than just research; Provide students with an understanding of the collaborative processes involved in research, creative work production, and other experiential learning practices; Increase participation in experiential learning opportunities for underrepresented and low-income students. Find more information here.

System Energy Efficiency Lab

Research in SEE Lab tacklesquestions across all levels of system design, using novel algorithmic approaches for machine learning, developing optimized hardware based on emerging technologies, and distributing computation and communication throughout a system to extend system lifetime. With Prof. Tajana Šimunić Rosing.  Find more information here.

HXI Lab

Research related to human-centered and ubiquitous computing for health and healthcare. Projects will be using ubiquitous computing technology (sensors, cameras, AR/VR, wearables, etc.). With Dr. Weibel.  Find more information here.

Kastner Research Group

Projects related to designing future embedded computing systems.  Contact Prof. Kastner directly to get involved. Find more information here.

UC San Diego's Starcave

Students interested in working with Prof. Schulze must email him at jschulze@eng.ucsd.edu. Prerequisite CSE 167 is required. Find more information here. 

UC San Diego's Design Lab

With Prof. Scott Klemmer's current PhD students (ongoing projects throughout the academic year). Find more information here. 

Spatiotemporal Machine Learning Lab

With Prof. Rose Yu. Find more information here. 

 

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More Resources For Finding Research Opportunities