Research Opportunities and Internships

There are 35+ active research labs in the department working at the cutting edge of the field, and most research labs include undergraduates.

Undergraduate research allows students to develop career skills, learn state-of-the-art techniques, build their resume for graduate and professional school, and contribute new knowledge to the field of Biology. There are many opportunities for undergraduates to get involved in research, and faculty in Biology and NEOMED have availability for new student researchers. See the available undergraduate research positions (note: you must be logged into your FlashLine account).

Students that are interested in research are encouraged to reach out to lab groups directly, speak with your faculty advisor, visit the Office of Student Research, or email the undergraduate research advisor at BSCIresearch@kent.edu.

Individual Investigations

BSCI 20196. Introduction to Individual Investigation, is a course for students with a minimum of 8 credit hours of biology course work who want an introduction to research under the direction of a faculty member. The course is S/U graded.

Download the BSCI 20196 Introduction to Individual Investigation Form

BSCI 40196, Undergraduate Individual Investigation, is a more advanced research course for those students who work with faculty mentors to develop an extensive and independent research project. The course is letter graded.

Download the BSCI 40196 Individual Investigation Form

The Senior Honors Thesis is an independent research project that may be an option for those students who wish to graduate with Honors from Kent State University. The research project is generally under the direction of a mentor in the Department of Biological Sciences but must register through the Honor's College.

Internships

Students may also gain practical work related experiences working in the biological sciences through an internship with a company or another academic institution.  Internships are established by the student who identifies the internship partner. Internship announcements are posted in the department and through the biology newsletter; however students will need to actively seek positions on their own. Internships may be paid or unpaid, during the academic year or during the summer. The internship experience may be done for academic credit with departmental approval.

An excellent source of information about internships is provided by the Rochester Institute of Technology for all areas of the biological and biomedical sciences. The National Science Foundation also provides information on available Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU). 

Download the BSCI 40192 Internship in Biological Sciences Form