Undergraduates at the University of Illinois have a broad variety of options open to them if they are interested in working in an entomologically relevant field. In fact, while there technically is an undergraduate B.S. in Entomology, very few (usually less than five!) of the numerous undergraduates who work in entomology are actually enrolled with this as their major. Opportunities for undergraduates are as diverse as those for graduate students. Below are listed just a few options. We encourage you to contact an undergraduate advisor in addition to consulting these resources to get a full idea of everything available to you.

Most undergraduate involvement in Entomology@Illinois takes the form of undergraduate research, either independently or in conjunction with a graduate student or post-doctoral researcher. The three most common ways an undergraduate can become involved in research are:

Many undergraduate perform research under the auspices of undergraduate research fellowships, the most common of which are the Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Fellowships. These prestigious fellowships are for both University of Illinois students as well as students from any institution in the country. These fellowships often carry a stipend and research funding. Each summer dozens of HHURFs work throughout the Life Sciences at Illinois, including a significant portion in entomologically related fields. Numerous other fellowships are available. For more information, contact your department office, or the Graduate College Fellowship Bulletin.

One of the more common options for engaging in undergraduate research is "290" research. This is undergraduate research conducted in which you receive course credit for independent research. These undergraduate research projects are registered under the rubric of the department sponsoring the research, and given the course number 290. 290 research involves finding an advisor to sponsor you, and is usually unpaid. More information is available on undergraduate 290 research here: http://www.life.uiuc.edu/advising/directions.html. We also recommend checking out our list of faculty that are engaged in entomologically relevant research to find a potential advisor.

There also are numerous job opportunities for undergraduates in labs that focus on entomology research. Undergraduates provide invaluable support services for these labs, including anything from helping with lab assays to keeping glassware and other resources in top shape for research to be carried out. These positions are paid but usually do not garner any research credit with the university. You can find these jobs through multiple channels: word of mouth, job postings on bulleting boards, by directly approaching faculty members (perhaps your professors or TAs?). These jobs become available and turn over very quickly, making an accurate listing of these jobs difficult to maintain. Check frequently around you department for these jobs, especially if you plan on staying the summer.

In addition to research experience, you can learn more about entomological topics by enrolling in a course that focuses on such topics. A list of entomologically relevant courses can be found here.