Summer Opportunities

Summer Research Opportunities

To initiate work with a Macalester faculty member, start by looking at the MSCS Research Opportunities page, and then talking with a professor with whom you would like to work. Also visit the Macalester Science and Research Office.

REUs are typically 8–10 week programs, run all over the country, and you get housing and salary. REUs vary widely in structure (for example, whether students work individually or in groups, on similar projects or different projects, with lots of faculty supervision/interaction or very little). Note that most cannot fund students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. If you’re thinking of graduate school, trying an REU is a really good idea. Application deadlines are mostly from January to March.

The NSF funds many REUs in mathematics, applied math, statistics, and computer science. See the official NSF listings by subject area:  Mathematical Sciences (including statistics),  Computer Science.

• The American Mathematical Society (AMS) and the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) each maintain their own list of math-related REUs, plus a few more that are not NSF sponsored: see AMS list of REUs and MAA list of REUs; some are NSF-sponsored and others aren’t.

Other summer research possibilities are listed below.  Some have restrictions to women or under-represented groups.

• NIST SURF is the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship with projects in applied mathematics.
• IPAM is the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics at UCLA. It hosts the Research in Industrial Projects (RIPS) for undergraduates and recent graduates.
• The DIMACS family of REUs is open to non US-citizens.
• The National Security Agency has a variety of summer internships.
• The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis runs a summer research program linking math and biology and is open to non US-citizens.

Summer Schools

“Summer schools” offer a chance for advanced study of some specific topics in the field.  Admission to many summer school programs is highly prestigious. Some of these programs target women or under-represented groups.

• The Park City Mathematics Institute (PCMI) has an Undergraduate Summer School which interacts with the Graduate Summer School and Research in Mathematics programs.
• George Washington University hosts the Summer Program for Women in Mathematics.
• Carleton College hosts the Summer Mathematics Program for Women Undergraduates.
• About to go to graduate school? Consider the EDGE program for women during the summer before you start.

Summer Internships

Summer internships in industry are a great way to try out a career before graduation.

• Many local and regional companies offering internships are listed on our department page.
• The AMS keeps a list of internships.
• The American Statistical Association keeps a list of internships.

Teaching Math/Computer Science

If you are interested in teaching or working with kids there are many enrichment programs during the summer for middle and high school students. Located across the country, these programs often hire college students. The AMS lists summer programs in mathematics for middle- and/or high-school students, but there are many other programs out there.