Undergraduate Research
There are many opportunities for students to conduct biological research at Loyola. In addition to the independent research component of a number of experiential courses, there is the opportunity to work closely with faculty members on biology research (BL481 and 482) and honors research (BL491 and 492) projects.
Some guidelines to remember:
- One semester of research (BL481) can count as one of the upper-level electives for the Biology major. Additional semesters (BL482, 483, etc) count as free electives. All research courses are 3 credits.
- Students interested in Honors Research (BL491 and 492) must first complete a year of Biology research (BL481 and 482), must write a thesis, and must form a thesis committee. See the BL491 course description in the Catalogue for more information and restrictions.
- To get started, you need to find a faculty mentor.
- To help you figure out who you might want to work with, visit their faculty page and click on their name for a description of their research: Faculty & Staff | Department of Biology | Loyola University Maryland
- Then reach out to set up a meeting with them to discuss your interest in research. Research spots are limited, so reach out early! Faculty may have additional requirements, such as doing some preliminary literature research or volunteering in their lab before they accept you as a research student for class credit.
- Once you have the approval of a faculty member, they can arrange for you to register for the course during (or after) your normal registration time. You can add a research course through the end of the add/drop period.
- Research performed off-campus with a non-Loyola professor can receive credit as a BL399 Internship. Visit that page for more information: Internships | Department of Biology | Loyola University Maryland
Visit the following to learn more: