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The University of Texas at Austin

Cohort URAP: Faculty-led Group Research

Interested in working with faculty on a Liberal Arts research project? Want to be part of a vibrant and collaborative research community? Check out Cohort URAP—an interdisciplinary research experience for COLA undergraduates to dive into a real research project with the direct support of a faculty lead, graduate student mentors, and program scaffolding designed to support your growth and confidence as a researcher. You’ll learn through both collaborative and independent work, and you’ll showcase your findings at our end‑of‑semester celebratory URAP Symposium!

Check out current URAP cohorts offered in Spring 2026 and Fall 2026!

College of Liberal Arts

Faculty-student meeting at the Harry Ransom Center


 
“Having no prior research experience in my field, the guidance and support from faculty and graduate mentors has been especially meaningful, giving me the confidence to explore new topics and ask questions I might otherwise have found intimidating.”
 

—Cohort URAP Fall ’25 Alum

  • Program Expectations

    • Learning Agreement:
      In collaboration with their faculty advisor, students will complete and sign a learning agreement outlining the semester’s research training activities, commitments, and expected deliverables.

    • Research Trainings:
      Students will participate in training opportunities relevant to their project—such as ethical data collection, qualitative and quantitative methods, digital tools, or archival research—and are expected to engage fully in these learning experiences.

    • Tasks & Activities:
      Faculty advisors will assign tasks throughout the semester that students are expected to complete in a timely manner. Examples of possible activities include: archival or literature research, data collection or analysis, GIS or digital mapping, public history, policy work, database development, and/or using tools like R, Python, OpenRefine, or GitHub.

    • Weekly Meetings:
      Students are expected to attend two separate weekly meetings: (1) A one‑hour cohort meeting scheduled prior to the start of the program, and (2) The mandatory weekly seminar with all Cohort URAP participants, which features presentations from COLA faculty and Ph.D. students, opportunities for cross‑cohort collaboration, and structured activities designed to support your growth as a researcher.

    • Final Project:
      Students will collaboratively create a final project—either a poster or an oral presentation—as a group. All members must meaningfully contribute and be prepared to discuss their work. It must be completed by a set date before the URAP Symposium.

    • URAP Symposium:
      Students will present their final posters or presentations at the end‑of‑semester URAP Symposium, an exciting event designed to showcase and celebrate undergraduate research. The Spring 2026 URAP Symposium is scheduled for Wednesday, April 22.

    • Time Commitment:
      Devote approximately 9 hours per week to research activities, including the weekly one‑hour cohort meeting and the research seminar (LA 325).

  • Credit & Outcomes
    • Earn 3 credit hours through LA 325 (becomming LA 331C in Fall ’26).
    • Cohort students have the opportunity to continue their research with the same faculty advisor beyond the cohort experience via Individual URAP. This next step in the URAP sequence includes opportunities for funding, in addition to credit.
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  • Eligibility & Requirements
    • Student must be a COLA major. 
    • Students must register for a 3‑credit course (LA325). If needed, the URAP team can assist eligible students in increasing their credit‑hour limit beyond 17 hours.
    • While there is no prequisite to join URAP, we encourage students who are interested in getting involved to begin with Pathways to Research, which helps build foundational skills and increases your chances of being accepted into a cohort.

     

  • Application Process

     1. Explore Cohorts
    Review the projects being offered for Cohort URAP and note which ones interest you most. Many projects are offered multiple times across several semesters, while others are only available once.

     

    2. Submit Application
    Access the Application Portal (link will be posted here when applications are open). On the application, you will:

    • Choose your top 1–8 cohort projects.
    • Rank-order these cohorts by preference.
    • Describe your interest in these cohorts and share relevant experience and skills.

     

    3. Selection Process

    • Applications are reviewed by a COLA committee.
    • Selected students will be matched with one of their top six cohorts.
    • Students will be notified of their acceptance status and cohort placement.
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Active Programs:

 

Fall 2026 Cohort URAP applications are now open! Visit the Application Portal to apply. Applications are due by 5 PM on Monday, April 13.

 

Please reach out to colastudentresearch@austin.utexas.edu if you have any questions about the program or application process.