Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Gaining Hands-on Experience

Bucknell students often say some of their most meaningful academic experiences are the research projects they undertake with faculty mentors. Even first-year students are sometimes invited to take part in scholarly projects with their professors.

Students across all disciplines find opportunities for meaningful scholarly work with faculty mentors. In addition to independent and senior honors projects during the year, Bucknell also offers a number of undergraduate summer research grants to students in various disciplines.

Not only do students learn about a particular research project, but they also learn how to use their analytical and critical thinking skills. As a result, they're better prepared to take that first job or go on to graduate school.

  • The Research Program
    The Bucknell Program for Undergraduate Research is a University-wide program providing summer stipends to students to conduct research with faculty mentors. Stipends are awarded on a competitive basis by a faculty advisory committee representing all of Bucknell’s academic divisions.
  • College of Engineering Undergraduate Research Opportunities
    The College of Engineering typically has many students doing research each summer. Student participants in summer research usually receive a stipend that is provided by a variety of sources, including research grants to individual faculty, University funds, departmental grants from state and federal agencies, private foundations, and corporations.
  • McKenna Summer Environmental Internship
    The Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation Summer Environmental Internship is a University-wide program initially funded in 1982.
  • Departmental Research Programs
    The following departments have descriptions of their Undergraduate Research Programs: biology, chemistry, animal behavior, physics, geology and psychology
  • Student Travel Application
    Bucknell encourages students to do scholarly and other creative projects with a faculty member beyond their normal coursework.