Research Opportunities

All independent study courses are letter graded. Enrollment requires approval from your faculty advisor and the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies. Upon submission of the application linked below, your faculty advisor will receive an email notification to review your proposal. Once approved, it will then be reviewed by the Associate Chair. Finally, Physics SSO will send you an override to enroll in the course. You will not be able to enroll until you receive the override notification via email.

Each credit of independent study research requires 45 hours of work over a full semester (approximately 3 hours or work per week).  In half semesters (spring or summer), 1 credit hour represents approximately 6 hours of work per week.

Applications for credit should be submitted as soon as possible before the add/drop deadline to allow for processing (at least one week). 

Apply for Physics Independent Study Credit 

The different independent study course options in Physics are described below.

Physics 415 - Undergraduate Research: Emphasizes experimental or theoretical research under the supervision of a faculty member. Generally, a small facet of a large research undertaking is investigated in detail. Can be taken for 1-6 credits per semester. May be repeated for a maximum of 8 total credits. Must submit a short (1-2 paragraphs) proposal that outlines your research project, written in consultation with your faculty advisor. As this course grants academic credit, students are required to present their research at a poster session hosted by the Physics department at the end of the semester in which they register. You will receive an email well in advance of the poster session with more information. Students who take this course more than once are expected to present a substantially different poster.

Physics 495 - Research Capstone (non-Honors): Students undertake a substantial research project that culminates in a final paper that is both academic and professional in quality (no page limit). Students must craft a research proposal in consultation with a faculty advisor (1 page, double spaced) that describes the work to be completed and the timeline for completing the research project. Must be taken for 3 credits. May not be repeated for credit. May not be elected by Honors students. The final paper is due by 5pm on the last day of class for the semester, and should be emailed in .PDF format to physics.sso@umich.edu and to the student's faculty mentor.

Physics 496 - Senior Thesis I (Honors): Students who wish to receive credit for their Honors Thesis may register for Physics 496.  Students must craft a research proposal in consultation with a faculty advisor (1 page, double spaced) that describes the work to be completed and the timeline for completing the research project. Must be taken for 2-3 credits. Cannot be repeated for credit. Students completing an Honors Thesis must submit their thesis to their faculty advisor and Physics SSO by deadline posted on the Physics Honors website.

Physics 497 - Senior Thesis II (Honors): This course can only be elected after completing Physics 496. This course is intended to serve as a continuation of the student's Honors Thesis project, for students who are working on their thesis over multiple semesters. Must be taken for 2-3 credits. Cannot be repeated for credit. No written proposal is required. Students completing an Honors Thesis must submit their thesis to their faculty advisor and Physics SSO by deadline posted on the Physics Honors website.

The Physics Department offers a summer research program for undergraduate majors, when departmental funding allows. The participating students are matched with faculty mentors with whom they will work over the course of the summer months. The positions are paid and the number of positions varies from year to year. They're separate from faculty-funded positions. For those inquiries, we would encourage you to reach out to the specific faculty member that you would like to work with. The Student Services Office sends out an application for department-funded research positions shortly before the end of the Winter semester, typically in late March or early April. If you have questions, please email physics.sso@umich.edu. We look forward to working with you!

UROP provides undergraduate students at U-M Ann Arbor, including transfer students, the chance to participate in research across all academic fields during the academic year, from September to April. Participants work under the guidance of a research sponsor and attend bi-weekly seminars covering a wide range of research topics, such as research methods, ethics, integrity, and the research lifecycle. Priority is given to students with limited or no prior research experience.

Summer Research Fellowship programs provide a 10-week, full-time independent research experience in all academic and professional fields.

Undergraduate funding support is available for research supplies, travel support to conduct research or present research at a professional conference, or presentation of a creative performance. 

Visit the UROP website

The National Science Foundation funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its REU Sites program. An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel. Undergraduate students supported with NSF funds must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions. An REU Site may be at either a US or foreign location.