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QSE  /  QSE Opportunities  /  Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate Students

optical components in a lab

Undergraduate students are encouraged to participate in QSE research through:

Caltech Summer Programs

  • SURF: The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships program is one of the "crown jewels" of Caltech. Since 1979, SURF students have had the opportunity to conduct research under the guidance of experienced mentors working at the frontier of their fields. SURF Fellows will have the opportunity to conduct research, working closely with a Caltech faculty mentor, during a 10-week summer program.
  • WAVE: The WAVE Fellows program aims to increase visibility and accessibility to Caltech's PhD programs to undergraduates in STEM fields who are seriously considering attending graduate school. WAVE Fellows is a 10-week undergraduate research program that provides robust programming in the areas of academic and professional development This program is open to visiting students who are US citizens, permanent residents, or have DACA status. In addition to the research experience, the Fellows are included in professional development seminars, science talks, social and cultural activities and special field trips.
  • QuantumSURF: Undergraduate students are invited to apply for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Experimental Quantum Science and Technology (QuantumSURF). Through this program, summer students spend 10 weeks as part of experimental groups at Caltech. Applications may be submitted through either the SURF or WAVE programs at Caltech.

Visiting Students

  • Visiting students at the undergraduate level, outside of the regular summer programs (e.g., for an honors thesis), may join Caltech through the Visiting Undergraduate Research Program VURP. This program offers non-Caltech undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct research at Caltech, throughout the year, while enrolled at another college or university. These students must have the sponsorship of a Caltech faculty member and an application must be made through the Student-Faculty Programs Office at least 10-12 weeks in advance of the proposed visit start date.

Additional Programs for Undergraduates

Additional programs introduce current undergraduate students to an in-depth look into life as a graduate student through a series of presentations, discussion panels, mini-workshops and informal socials with Caltech faculty and students. Topics include choosing a research direction, building community, navigating the application process and more.

  • FUTURE of Physics, sponsored by PMA and the Heising-Simons Foundation. The FUTURE program is designed to support students whose gender identities are historically underrepresented in physics. But we accept applications from any students who would benefit from our program.
  • FUTURE Ignited is a series of events designed to support and encourage aspiring graduate students by providing the opportunity to learn more about graduate programs at Caltech and, more broadly, the graduate school admissions process. Student-Faculty Programs are open to anyone regardless of race, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual identity, and/or any other protected characteristic.