Research for Academic Credit
- BILD 99/BISP 199: Independent/Individual Research
- BISP 193: Biology Education Research
- BISP 196: Senior Honors Thesis Program
- BISP 197: Biology Research Internship Program
The Biology Research Internship Program is a partnership between UC San Diego Biological Sciences and the Academic Internship Program. The program provides opportunities for students to gain academic credit for research-based internships in approved labs at various institutes/organizations in the local area.
Complete Learning Agreement must be submitted by the stated deadline. The Learning Agreement and subsequent enrollment are subject to approval of the Academic Internship Program and the School of Biological Sciences.
Safety Training
The internship site is responsible for ensuring students receive appropriate safety training and that appropriate records are maintained. Student and internship supervisor acknowledge they will discuss and complete the training within the allowable time.
Throughout the process, an AIP counselor is available to meet with students to assist with finding appropriate internships, resume/cover letter preparation, and the application and interview process.
Once an internship has been secured, the student must complete the Learning Agreement via InternLink.
The Learning Agreement must include:
Once the Learning Agreement is complete:
Upon approval by AIP and your Internship Supervisor, you may begin your enrollment request via the Enrollment Authorization System (EASy). You will need:
Your request will be electronically routed to your Faculty Advisor, and the School of Biological Sciences for approval.
All missed hours must be made up before the end of finals week in consultation with the internship supervisor, including hours missed due to a late start date. Students experiencing difficulty fulfilling the required hours should contact their AIP counselor immediately for assistance.
Note: Internships must take place in a supervised professional setting. Internships hours may not be completed virtually/from home.
Below are the recommended EASy submission deadlines. The Learning Agreement must be approved and attached to the EASy application when submitting. Please note that special studies applications require multiple levels of review through EASy, including submission by both the student and instructor, departmental review, and in some cases, College approval, before final submission to the Registrar.
All approvals must be completed, and the application must be submitted to the Registrar by Friday of Week 2, which is the campus add deadline. Students are encouraged to submit their applications by the deadlines listed below to allow sufficient time for processing.
*Note - The Learning Agreement must be submitted to AIP at least one week in advance of the recommended EASy submission date to allow time for review and approval. Questions regarding the Learning Agreement should be directed to the AIP office.
For participation in: | Application Opens | Recommended Submission Date |
---|---|---|
Spring 2025 | Monday, January 6, 2025 | Friday, March 14, 2025 @ 4 p.m. |
Summer 2025 | Monday, March 31, 2025 | Friday, June 6, 2025 @ 4 p.m. |
Fall 2025 | Monday, March 31, 2025 | Friday, September 5, 2025 @ 4 p.m. |
Winter 2026 | Thursday, September 25, 2025 | Friday, December 5, 2025 @ 4 p.m. |
Spring 2026 | Monday, January 5, 2026 | Friday, March 13, 2026 @ 4 p.m. |
If the Learning Agreement is approved:
*Please note, you may only start your internship in the TSRI Lab after completing the on-boarding process with TSRI's HR Department. International students will be required complete additional paperwork with TSRI's International Office once internship is secured.
If the student or another individual, organization, or institution requires enrollment verification, the following options are available:
At the conclusion of the term, the UC San DIego Faculty Advisor, in consultation with the internship supervisor, is responsible for assigning a final grade (pass or no pass) via the University eGrades System.
Unless your overall UC GPA is a 2.5+ at the time of application, you will not be eligible to participate in the Biology Research Internship Program.
In addition to the Guidelines for AIP Internships, the School of Biological Sciences expects that a student’s work in a research laboratory will meet the following criteria; the student must:
As a biology major, the BISP 197 will automatically count as an upper-division elective. For select biology majors, one quarter of BISP 196, 197 or 199 may be used to satisfy one upper-division biology laboratory course. Please send a VAC message to Biology to determine if BISP 197 can apply toward your biology laboratory requirement. Note that only one quarter of BISP 196/197/199 may apply to biology major requirements.
No, you would not be able to participate. In order to be eligible, you must physically be present and working in the designated lab.
Students may apply and earn credit up to three times in BISP 197.