Undergraduate Research Opportunities

CPSC 448 allows students to explore areas of Computer Science not otherwise found in the undergraduate curriculum. The course can be either a one-term course (3 credits) or a two-term (6 credits) course, depending on the type of the study and the project involved.Students make a proposal to a faculty member to investigate a topic that goes beyond that which is covered in existing upper-year courses. If the faculty member agrees to supervise the student, then the student and faculty member must agree on the scope of the project, and on how achievement is to be evaluated.

Students have a more systematic experience to research when taking the Honours program. All students in the Honours program enroll in the Honours Research Seminar course (CPSC 349). There is a more vigorous demand on the academic performance and has a thesis requirement (CPSC 449).

Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) are opportunities for undergraduate students to gain research work experience. There are multiple USRA awards given through these programs: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for Canadian citizens or permanent residents, Science Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) for both domestic and international students, Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Awards (WLIURA). In 2025, UBC committed additional funding to provide the Summer Enhanced Science Undergraduate Research Experience Awards (EnSURE) for both domestic and international students to be involved in both full-time and part-time research projects. Check the individual awards for their application requirements and deadlines.

You can approach a professor to inquire whether they have research opportunities for undergraduate students in their research group. A research group would sometimes refer themselves as a research lab.

Our Distinguished Lecture Series is a forum for researchers to speak about their latest advances that are at the forefront of the field for which they are renowned by peers. Students, faculty and the general public are all welcomed. DLS talks are usually scheduled on Thursdays (3:30-4:50 pm).

The SCI Team organizes the Science Case Competition every year. Students form a team of 3-5, receive the case 10 days before the event date, and tackle the case leveraging their research skills and wide range of scientific knowledge, considering the ethical, social, and economic implications as they build their proposal.

The Faculty of Science selects and showcases undergraduate research projects on the faculty's website, and on display screens in Science buildings. The research experiences can include involvement on- or off-campus and are not limited to UBC Science labs. This program accepts research that ranges from course-based group projects to directed studies research to volunteering or working in a lab or even published research articles. Learn more.

The Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Conference (MURC) is a conference for UBC undergraduate students to present their research with fellow UBC students, family, and friends. Since 2003, the conference has been led by undergraduate students and is centred on showcasing and celebrating undergraduate student research through presentations, workshops, and keynote speakers. Besides presenting at the conference, students can also help out with the conference or be an adjudicator for the conference presentation. For more information about the conference, email undergraduate.research@ubc.ca.

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities (URO) offers mentorship, networking, and a range of research-related services. Their mission is to inspire undergraduate students to pursue their research goals by fostering a supportive community. Contact rex.uro.ubc@gmail.com for more information.

The Research EXperience program (REX) exposes undergraduates to the research world. By connecting undergraduate students to graduate students or postdoctoral fellows, students with no prior experience work on a theoretical research project of their choice. A REX project is a research project proposal. While you won’t actually carry out the project, it should be feasible to complete during a Master’s or PhD. REX projects expose students to everything lab courses don’t – carrying out a project you are interested in, performing a complete literature review, and developing methods to answer a research question.​ Contact uro.ubc@gmail.com for more information.

Travel to another university with the support of Go Global to gain research experience in a structured, supported environment. Summer Research Abroad application deadlines are in December and January each year. Students can also seek global research opportunities on their own. Some programs may meet eligibility requirements for Go Global's Self-Directed Research Abroad Award. Research Abroad - Go Global.

The UBC Data Science Institute (DSI) is a collaboration hub that enables inter-faculty interactions on research problems involving large and complex data sets.