Summer Research Credit

As a courtesy to declared Biology majors only, the Biology Department has established a Summer Research Credit petition process. Students who want academic credit for research done during the summer can do so through this petition process.

An approved petition allows students to add units to their schedule in the academic year immediately following the summer in which the work was done. Note - Students who participate in VPUE research programs like B-SURPS are not eligible to receive academic credit.

Units

Units are determined based on the total number of hours worked. During the summer students will earn 1 unit for every 40 hours of work, up to 10 units (400 hours).

Students will register for BIO 199, BIOHOPK 199H, or BIO 199X (see below) during the academic year following the summer research. If the student is continuing research in the academic year, the number of units will be combined (e.g. 3 units from the summer plus 2 units during the current quarter will result in registering for 5 units).

Please keep in mind that the maximum number of units allowed per quarter is 20; an approved Summer Research Petition does NOT permit students to go over this maximum.

Registration During the Academic Year

Students who worked in the lab of a Biology faculty member will register for BIO 199 (main campus) or BIOHOPK 199H (Hopkins Marine Station) during the academic year. No additional paperwork beyond the summer research petition is required.

Students who worked in a lab outside of the department will need to submit a BIO 199X petition in addition to their summer research petition, unless an approved BIO 199X petition for work in the same lab is already on file. The forms must be signed by their research PI and major advisor. Once approved, students will register in BIO 199X. Note: Rather than submit one 10-page paper as required for the Summer Research Petition AND one 2-3 page paper as required by the BIO 199X Petition, students petitioning for summer credit in a non-Biology lab may submit just the one 10-page paper.

Petition Procedure

To receive academic credit for work performed over the summer, you must submit the following items to the Student Services Office in Gilbert 118 by 3:00pm on September 26, 2023:

Complete the Petition Form

Complete the Summer Research Petition Form and obtain the necessary signatures.

Write Your Paper

10-page paper (1.5 spaced, excluding references). Please note that the 10 page paper is required regardless of how many units you request and is NOT prorated for shorter projects. The paper must be appropriately referenced and organized as follows:

  • Your Name and Title of Project. Using appropriate referenced background information, indicate the significance of your research.
  • Introduction
  • Materials and Methods. Describe the experimental design used to carry out your research including methods and materials. Indicate how these techniques will allow you to address your research question.
  • Results. Describe the outcome of your research. Indicate how the data collected was used to draw conclusions regarding the research question. Be sure to indicate your role in all aspects of the project, from conception of idea to experimental design through data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
  • References & Appendices. Figures and graphs of data may be included.
Back to Top