Research Practice 195 (RES PRC 195) – UCLA

Course Overview

Overview

Junior and senior-level UCLA undergraduates who are conducting a summer research project or summer internship outside of UCLA may enroll in RES PRC 195 to receive 4 units of upper division course credit for their experience. This course is offered during Session A10 ONLY. Please be sure your internship dates align with the Summer Session A10 term using UCLA’s Summer Sessions Calendar. All majors and minors are welcome to enroll. Enrollment is limited to a maximum of two quarters.

RES PRC 195 students are required to:

Present at the virtual SPUR symposium
Attend weekly workshops
Submit an abstract and culminating assignment by Friday of Finals Week.

A letter grade will be assigned to students once they have met all above requirements.

Eligibility

Junior or Senior status
Good academic standing (at least a 3.0 GPA)
Will be working at an off-campus site for the required number of hours per week (paid or unpaid):
- For 10-week internships: minimum of 30 hours per week

*Please note – if you plan to work less than 30 hours per week, refer to the RES PRC 99 course for enrollment.

Enrollment Instructions

Your work will be supervised by your Faculty Research Mentor outside of UCLA. However, for the purposes of the RES PRC 195 course, a faculty member in the Undergraduate Research Centers will serve as the instructor of record for the course. To begin the enrollment process, you must submit a two-section written proposal for approval before you are connected with the URC faculty who will serve as the instructor of record.

Step 1: Create your Course Proposal

Please create a two-section written proposal as a Word document or PDF with the information listed below:

Section 1: RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT

Your full name, major, and UID
The department and institution where you will be conducting research
The name(s) of your Faculty Research Mentor and direct supervisor (if different)
Link to your faculty mentor’s website
The dates you will be conducting research and Summer Session you are interested in enrolling
Hours per week you will be committing to the project
The name of the program you are participating in (if any) and link to the program website
Attach a copy of the email or letter from your Faculty Research Mentor confirming your participation in this project, the duration of the internship, and the hours per week. Note: you will require a second letter from your mentor at the end of your internship to confirm your completion of the required hours.

Section 2: RESEARCH PLANNED

Project title
Description of the research tasks and activities you will be completing over the summer
Safety trainings and certifications you will complete prior to beginning your research tasks and activities (if applicable)
Acknowledgment of attending Wednesday SPUR workshops from 9am-10:30am
Selected date to present in the virtual SPUR Showcase (Week 8 or 10)
Culminating assignment – you must submit a research abstract AND one of the following projects listed below:
- Presentation slides
- Research Poster
- Research Paper

Step 2: Submit your Course Proposal

Once your proposal complete, please attach the document to an email as a Word document or PDF and send it to the Research Practice team at researchpractice@college.ucla.edu.

Proposals will undergo review, and the Research Practice team will reach out with further questions or next steps.

Step 3: URC Faculty Mentor Assignment

Once your proposal is approved, you will receive an email from the Research Practice team with your URC Faculty Mentor assignment and next steps to creating your course contract via MyUCLA.

Please follow the instructions received via email carefully and obtain your URC Faculty Mentor’s signature on your contract.

Step 4: Contract Submission

Once your contract has been signed, please submit your contract to the Research Practice Message Center queue (Topic: Research Practice (RES PRC) Subject Area Questions Only) via MyUCLA for final enrollment processing. You may use “RES PRC 195 Contract” in the subject line.

Students will receive confirmation via Message Center once they have been officially enrolled in the course.

Step-by-step enrollment instructions can be found here.

FAQ

Can I enroll in both Session A and Session C?

No, students may only enroll in Session A10, as the RES PRC 195 course curriculum was designed for a 10-week timeframe. If your internship falls outside of the Session A10 dates, please contact researchpractice@college.ucla.edu for potential alternative enrollment sessions.

My research contains confidential information. How should I complete the research abstract and culminating assignment at the end of the quarter?

Please speak with your PI regarding what information can be used in your culminating projects, or if you may use generic terms/figures. You may also speak with your assigned URC Faculty Mentor for guidance in navigating proprietary information. Please note that all abstracts and culminating projects are seen by departmental staff only and are not publicized.

What is the SPUR Symposium?

The Summer Program for Undergraduate Research hosts an annual virtual showcase during Week 8 and 10 of the Summer Sessions. RES PRC 195 students are required to present their research in the Symposium during a week of their choosing. Participation in the Showcase will count toward course grades.

What can I expect when attending Weekly Workshops?

Weekly Workshops are held by the Summer Program for Undergraduate Research and consists of talks from guest speakers, and workshops about Writing a Research Paper, Applying to Graduate Schools, Careers in Research, and more. Workshop attendance is mandatory for RES PRC 195 students, and must be reflected on at the end of each week. If you are unable to attend Weekly Workshops due to time constraints, please contact your assigned URC Faculty Mentor as soon as possible.