Skip to main content
Penn State Abington
Report a Concern Visit Us Apply Now Give Now
  • Academics
    • Baccalaureate Degrees
    • Associate Degrees
    • Pathway to Master's Degrees
    • Academic Calendar
    • Academic Support
    • Global Programs
    • Honors Program
    • Summer Courses
    • Registrar
    • Undergraduate Research
  • Admissions
    • Apply to Penn State
    • Accept Your Offer
    • Visit Us
    • First-Year Students
    • Transfer Students
    • International Students
    • Adult Students
    • Veteran Students
    • Tuition and Financial Aid
    • Virtual Tour
  • Campus Life
    • Athletics
    • Campus Housing
    • Career and Professional Development
    • Clubs and Organizations
    • Counseling and Psychological Services
    • Police and Public Safety
    • Student Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • Events Calendar
  • Information For
    • Adult and Youth Learners
    • Community
    • Current Students
    • Development and Alumni Relations
    • Diversity
    • Faculty/Staff
    • International Students
    • Parents and Families
    • Prospective Students
Full site navigation menu

This dialog contains the full navigation menu for this site.

Penn State Abington
Enter the terms you wish to search for.
Search type:
Report a Concern Visit Us Apply Now Give Now
  • This is Penn State Abington
  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • Tuition and Financial Aid
  • Campus Life
  • Athletics
  • Continuing Education and Innovation

Find Information For:

  • Adult and Youth Learners
  • Community
  • Current Students
  • Development and Alumni Relations
  • Diversity
  • Faculty/Staff
  • International Students
  • Parents and Families
  • Prospective Students

Helpful Links

  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Map
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Directions
  • Directory
  • Events
  • Library
  • Parking and Transportation
  • Online and Information Technology

Connect With Us

  • instagram
  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • youtube
  • x (formally twitter)
  1. Home
  2. Academics
  3. Undergraduate Research

ACURA Student Information

Undergraduate research is a valuable opportunity for students to engage in scholarly and creative activities under the guidance of faculty mentors. 

ACURA is Opportunity 

  • Collaborate closely with a faculty mentor on a hands-on project and/or creative work over the course of two or three semesters. 
  • Receive academic credit each semester for research activity. 
  • Gain valuable research, technical, and artistic experience for more advanced levels of scholarly work and to build your resume. 
  • Present your research findings at the annual ACURA Poster Fair and, if eligible, at other Penn State research fairs and/or at local or national research conferences. 
  • Publish your original work and discoveries in partnership with your research mentor and attend conferences. 
  • Ask your faculty mentor serve as a reference for employment or graduate school. 

How Do I Begin? 

Step 1: Find a Faculty Mentor 

You can find ongoing research projects on the ACURA web page - Undergraduate Research Projects or attend the ACURA Information Session at the beginning of the semester. Faculty may announce projects in class or through the student email. You may also initiate a research or creative project and contact a faculty member to discuss mentoring your project. 

Step 2: Discuss Expectations with Your Mentor

Faculty will establish a one-to-one mentorship and hold weekly/bi-weekly meetings during the semester. The syllabus and expectations should be clear. 

Step 3: Register for an ACURA Course 

Your faculty mentor will register you for an ACURA course each semester once it has been determined that you have the necessary qualifications and you commit to working for either two or three-semesters. 

A two-semester ACURA course bears 3 credits, and a three-semester course bears 4 credits. Faculty will decide if it is a 200-level or 400-level course, and they will assign a grade at the end of each semester. 

Graded Course (e.g., Soc 294, EE 494)

  • Two-semester option: Fall (1 credit) + Spring (2 credits) 
  • Three-semester option: Spring (1 credit) + Fall (1 credit) + Spring (2 credits) 

Step 4: Complete Your Project and Prepare for the ACURA Fair 

All ACURA students are expected to participate in the ACURA Fair in April. This includes attending the ACURA poster workshop, preparing the poster, presenting the poster at the fair, and preparing the recorded introduction for the ACURA Online Platform. 

Important to Know 

Upon receiving authorization from the ACURA coordinator, students may undertake multiple ACURA projects during a single cycle (two or three semesters).

Penn State will enforce a charge for any student registered for more than 19 credits per semester. Students may choose to do a project without receiving course credit. This should be discussed by the student and the faculty mentor, and the faculty mentor can register the student with zero credits. All ACURA students will be grouped in the “ACURA” student group and be given the same rights and privileges as those students registered for credit, including the invitation to present at the poster fair. 

Student Resources

  • Penn State Abington MakerSpace
  • Penn State Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring Office
  • University Libraries Undergraduate Research Support
  • University Libraries Data Analysis and Visualization Workshops

Undergraduate Research

  • Arts and Humanities Projects
    • Previous Arts and Humanities Projects
  • Social Sciences, Business, and Education Projects
    • Previous Social Sciences, Business, and Education Projects
  • Science and Engineering Projects
    • Previous Science and Engineering Projects
  • ACURA Student Information
  • ACURA Poster Fair
  • ACURA Faculty Information
Locations of Penn State’s campuses throughout Pennsylvania with Penn State Abington highlighted.

Penn State Abington

Conveniently located in a suburban setting, north of Philadelphia, and easily accessible by public transportation.
  • instagram
  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • youtube
  • x (formally twitter)
Visit Us Apply Now Give Now
  • Academics
    • Library
    • Registrar
  • Admission
    • Apply to Penn State
    • Visit Penn State Abington
    • Take our Virtual Tour
  • Athletics
    • Contact Athletics
    • Schedule of Games
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Campus Directory
    • Faculty
    • Staff
  • Directions
    • Virtual Tour
  • This is Penn State
    • Media Resource Center
    • PSUalert
    • Police and Public Safety
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Tuition and Fees
    • Financial Aid
  • Faculty/Staff Resources
    • Activity Insight
    • Canvas
    • Intranet
    • LionPath
    • Penn State Research Portal
    • Outlook
    • Starfish
Penn State University
1600 Woodland Road, Abington, Pennsylvania 19001 215-881-7300

Footer Legal Menu

  • Privacy
  • Non-discrimination
  • Accessibility
  • The Pennsylvania State University © 2025
  • We Are Penn State