Ready to Get Started?
No project? No mentor? No problem!
Step 1: Find a faculty research mentor - Let us help! We have options:
The role of a mentor is to:
- assist in the development and articulation of a project idea and plan.
- help you understand the methods and concepts of research and scholarship within your field.
- guide and train you in the skills and/or techniques needed to complete a project.
There is no pressure to come up with your own idea because most students work directly on a faculty project.
Located in the Getting Started in Research Toolkit, this video is designed to help students navigate the undergraduate research process.
These worksheets are used in our Getting Started in Research Consultations and can help you clarify your research interests and also outline the research journey - start to finish.
- What are your research interests?
- The research journey: How to get involved, find a faculty mentor, and next steps.
- Tips and hints for emailing faculty about research opportunities
- Need an email signature? Check out the USC Email Signature Generator.
Use our searchable research database to identify faculty who have research interests similar to yours.
The Office of Undergraduate Research offers individual consultations where we will explore your research interests, walk through how to find and reach out to potential faculty mentors, and discuss next steps. Summer appointments can be made by emailing our@sc.edu.
- Talk to your current or past professors after class, ask for a meeting, or stop by their office hours. Do they have opportunities for students or suggestions for other faculty who might?
- Ask peers about their professors or research mentors.
- Check out Coffee Convos- a program through the Student Success Center that encourages students to connect with their professor outside the classroom. They think it is so important that they pay for you and your professors beverage!
Always feel free to contact us by email or phone (803-777-1141) as well - we are here to help at every step along your research journey!
Step 2: Embark on your research journey
Have a mentor and project? You're ready to move on to the next steps.
Record your undergraduate research experience and enter your project(s) in the OUR Research Registry. This is required every semester for research to appear on your "My USC Experience" transcript.
Tips, hints, and resources to make the most of your research experience with your mentor.
Find funding to support your research project, and get application deadlines and details.
Publish, present, and get the word out about your research findings.
Additional information and resources to help you along your research journey - from registering your project, to understanding your rights and responsibilities, to getting the most out of your research experiences by taking your work to the next level.