UROC - Undergraduate Rsch Opp & Comp

While we designed each module to build upon the modules before it, we understand that not all students will need to review each of UROC's pages. We encourage students to pick and choose which UROC modules and pages will be most useful to them. Students who complete all five of UROC's Research Skills & Competencies modules will receive a certificate of completion.

To get started:

Visit the page linked below and enroll in the course.
UROC will be added to your ELMs account.
Student can review content at their own pace.
(be sure to complete the About You survey to access all of UROC’s modules)

UROC is available to University of Maryland campus partners to use and integrate into courses, workshops, or programs through the UMD Open Learning platform.

How Do I Know if Students Completed UROC?

Students who complete the About You survey, view all UROC Research Skills & Competencies Modules, and complete all learning checks will earn a certificate of completion PDF through the Open Learning platform.

Can I Remix, Adapt, or Reuse UROC Materials?

Yes! Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution BY-NC-SA 4.0 International license. You are free to share, use, and adapt UROC content so long as proper attribution is indicated and licensed under the same Creative Commons license. Materials in UROC may not be used for commercial purposes. Learn more about CC BY-NA-SA 4.0 here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.

Who Can I Reach Out To With Questions?

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about using UROC, please email Dr. Cari Ferguson (cfferg@umd.edu).

UROC Open Access

UROC Open Access is free for students and partners beyond UMD as a public ELMs-Canvas course, and is available on the Maryland Open Source Textbook (M.O.S.T.) Initiative website.

What Do Students Learn in the UROC Open Access?

UROC Open Access provides all the same content as the UROC available to the UMD community with the exception of any UMD-specific resources and guidance (UMD Resources page, direct references to UMD programs and offices, etc).

UROC Open Access

How Do I Know if Students Completed UROC Open Access?

To make UROC Open Access available to the public, we are unable to support the delivery of a certificate of completion to students who engage with UROC Open Access. We would be happy to discuss how you may integrate UROC Open Access into your courses and verify student completion at your institution.

Can I Remix, Adapt, or Reuse UROC Open Access Materials?

Yes! Except where otherwise noted, all content in UROC Open Access is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution BY-NC-SA 4.0 International license.

You are free to share, use, and adapt UROC Open Access content so long as proper attribution is indicated and licensed under the same Creative Commons license. Materials in UROC Open Access may not be used for commercial purposes. Learn more about CC BY-NA-SA 4.0 here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.

Who Can I Reach Out To With Questions?

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about using UROC Open Access, please email Dr. Cari Ferguson (cfferg@umd.edu).

UROC Principal Investigator

Assistant Director, Office of Undergraduate Research

Dr. Carinna Ferguson

Higher Education Graduate Student

2024 UROC Graduate Student Worker

Amrina Rangar

MPS in Clinical Psychological Science

2024 UROC Graduate Student Worker

Kamryn McKenzie

Support for UROC

The development of UROC was supported by the following University of Maryland campus partners.

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities & Competencies (UROC) open educational resource was designed to provide undergraduate students with the essential skills and tools to take on an undergraduate research opportunity, succeed as a member of a research team, and lead as a peer mentor.

UROC is divided into two content areas with seven modules:

Research Skills & Competencies
- Intro to Undergraduate Research
- Undergraduate Research Toolkit
- AI & Information Literacy in Research
- Taking Action: Finding & Maintaining a Research Experience
- Research Opportunity Ready: Essential Documents
Leading in Undergraduate Research
- Building Effective Relationships
- Offering Feedback

Each module provides an overview of essential research skills and information to prepare students to take on, succeed, and lead in undergraduate research.