Research Option - Information for Participating Schools
Any school at Georgia Tech can, by vote of its faculty, participate in the Research Option. A default plan for the option was approved by the Institute in March 2006 and outlines the general requirements for the option.
If schools choose to adopt the default plan of the Research Option, an expedited approval process exists. Schools planning to add additional requirements or substitute different courses for the requirements should plan to submit a cover memo including an explanation of their proposed plan and a sample curriculum plan. Such, non-default plans, will be discussed and voted on by both the Undergraduate Research Advisory Group (URAG) and the Institute Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (IUCC).
Default Plan Proposals
If the faculty within a school vote to participate in the default plan Research Option, the process for approvals is streamlined. After a positive vote from the faculty of the unit, the school would submit the signed memo below to the UROP program which would forward it to the URAG and IUCC as information items. Once the default plan memo has been presented to those groups as information items, the school may begin offering the option in the next school term.
Default Plan Approval Memo and Instructions
Non-Default Plan Proposals
Research Options which propose a different curriculum than that presented in the default plan must be approved by both the Undergraduate Research Advisory Group (URAG) and the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) before implementation. An outline of the approval process, a template for the cover signature memo, and a sample curriculum plan are highlighted in the document below.
Non-Default Plan Cover Memo and Template
Tip #1: If a proposal differs substantially from the default, the unit should seek informal feedback from the URAG chair before submitting a proposal for approval to the URAG.
Tip #2: Please outline in your cover memo how the proposal differs from the default proposal.
Interdisciplinary and Multi-disciplinary Projects
Students may plan to work on projects which are either multi-disciplinary in nature or are in areas outside their declared degree major. There are two ways in which to participate:
- Complete the Research Option in a School Outside your degree – a student may complete the research option in any school which offers it, provided that the school approves the student’s participation and research proposal, and the student is able to find a faculty mentor within that school. Contact the Undergraduate Coordinator within the school that you are interested in participating in the option.
- Develop a multi-disciplinary project – students may, with the assistance of a faculty mentor or possibly a co-mentor from another school, create a project which is multi-disciplinary in nature. Such proposals must be approved by the Undergraduate Research Advisory Group (URAG). For additional information on how to submit such a proposal, please contact the Dr. Karen Harwell, Director, Undergraduate Research.
For additional details on requirements, please read the memo to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee clarifying the subject.
Any questions? Contact Dr. Karen Harwell, Director, Undergraduate Research, or Dr. Amy Bruckman, Chair, URAG.