Research

Whether you’re a new grad student, a postdoc, a visiting graduate researcher, or a prospective applicant looking to see what research we’re doing on campus, we’ve compiled some resources on this page to get you started.

As a preeminent public research university, UCLA offers the opportunity to lead research in state-of-the-art facilities while collaborating with world-renowned faculty. Scholars will learn to further shape and define their particular projects, expand their mastery in their chosen field, work in partnership with their peers and mentors and share their knowledge in the classroom and lab. This collective effort is the spark that ignites solutions to the most pressing global problems of today and tomorrow.

Susan L. Ettner
Dean, UCLA Division of Graduate Education
Professor, Department of Medicine
Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management

Visiting Graduate Researchers

Visiting Graduate Researchers are domestic or international degree-seeking graduate students at their home institution who are invited to conduct short-term doctoral research or participate in a mentored or independent research project or master’s research collaboration with a faculty member at UCLA. The initial Visiting Graduate Researcher appointment can range from 3 weeks to 12 months; the maximum stay is 24 months.

Postdoctoral Scholars

Postdoctoral Scholar (Postdoc) is an individual who holds a doctoral degree, is engaged in advanced training and education, and conducts research under the guidance of a faculty member at UCLA. A postdoctoral scholar position prepares you for a career in academia, industry, government or the non-profit sector. Each year, UCLA hosts approximately 1,200 postdocs worldwide who play a critical role in furthering the University’s educational and research mission.

Research Assistantships

Graduate Student Researcher positions provide experience working on faculty-supervised research projects. Applicants should inquire within their department.

Internships

The UCLA Career Center’s Handshake is a good place to start looking for internships, as is the UCLA International Education Office if you’re looking for an experience abroad. Other places are your home program/department and other programs/departments on campus.

Summer Programs

Many UCLA summer programs are designed to give undergraduates research experience before applying to graduate school. Head to our Admissions section to learn more about Undergraduate Summer Programs. For graduate students, search our Graduate Funding Search Engine to see current research opportunities available through the summer.