MARC Benefits and Expectations
for Students and Mentors

Student Benefits

Student Expectations

  • Academic
      • Participate in program for two-year period (final two years of undergraduate career)
      • Take classes associated with major and those expected by graduate programs of interest
      • Take a Pro-seminar course  (480M) 
      • Take a course in writing workshops (BIOL 398/498)
      • Take a course in Research Ethics (PHIL 316)
      • Take a course in Scientific Writing (ENGL 363)
      • Enroll and receive credit (1 unit per semester) for BIOL480M (or equivalent): MARC pro-seminar
      • Enroll and receive credit (1-3 units per semester) for BIOL499L (or equivalent): Independent Laboratory Research
      • Maintain a minimum of 3.2 GPA during MARC tenure, and improve on GPA during two-year period to be a competitive applicant to PhD programs
      • Meet with MARC director when necessary beyond MARC Proseminar
  • Research
      • Complete written thesis and defend to MARC and CSUF community
      • Give a poster presentation on your MARC research annually at the NSM-ICC conference on campus
      • Attend SACNAS conference the first year in program and present research in a poster format the second year in program
      • Apply for a SACNAS travel grant for the year you present a poster
      • Apply for small supply (for research) and travel grants (to conferences) as recommended by research mentor
      • Attend at least on conference in your discipline during year two, submit abstract, and present if possible
      • Apply and participate in extramural summer research at a PhD-granting institution
      • Invite and host a visiting scientist in discipline from PhD-granting institution
      • Maintain a laboratory notebook
  • Other
    • Be a role model for other undergraduates at CSUF
    • Be a role model for other under-represented undergraduates interested in a research career
    • Show proof of health insurance upon acceptance: June 1st