With the Georgia Tech Research Option, students are afforded a unique opportunity for intensive, hands-on research experiences as undergraduates. This opportunity provides students with several semesters of research on one project, culminating in an original thesis or research paper. Research Option students work one-on-one with faculty members, and students are encouraged to present their final work to faculty and their peers.

Students who graduate with the Research Option will have opportunities to extend their communication and writing skills, increase their knowledge in a specific area of emphasis, and depending on the research project learn either independent research or teamwork skills. Students will be exposed to how research projects are created and sustained and what research within their field of study really entails. While the option appears on the student’s transcript as a special designation, the true benefit of the program comes from the immersion in a specific independent research topic, interaction with peers from other disciplines also completing research, and special instruction in small classes on research-related skills and tools.

While the exact requirements for research option vary by academic unit, students will typically:
* Create an independent research project and written proposal for the work planned.
* Complete at least 9 units of undergraduate research (over at least two, preferably three terms).
* Take a sequence of two 1-hour writing courses in support of various aspects of the option. LCC 4701: Undergraduate Research Proposal Writing offers students support and tools as they write the proposal required for the program. LCC 4702: Undergraduate Research Thesis Writing supports students during their final semester of research as they complete the thesis and present it to the faculty of their school.
* Write an undergraduate thesis/report of research on their findings.

Click here for additional information on the Research Option, a list of participating schools, and a current version of the Research Option brochure. For more information on undergraduate research and the research option, email urop@gatech.edu.