Intramural research internship: A requirement of the undergraduate bioengineering curriculum at the University of Pittsburgh

Abstract

Intramural Research Internship has been offered as a core Bioengineering course since the inauguration of the University of Pittsburgh's undergraduate Bioengineering degree program in 1998. The goal of this course is to provide a collaborative, interdisciplinary research experience that exposes students to pathways for graduate education and professional careers in bioengineering. By complementing the education acquired in the classroom, we have found that this experience is both beneficial and motivational. This paper provides an overview of our Intramural Research Internship course and some of the unique teaching strategies that have been successfully implemented over the past decade.