The Science & Engineering Apprenticeship Program (S&EAP) is a competitive program for graduating high school seniors who plan to attend college in the Fall semester following graduation. The program exposes the selected students to laboratory research and development and gives them an idea of what scientists and engineers do. Local area high schools are notified of the program, and students who have an interest in electrical, mechanical and aerospace engineering, physics, mathematics, and computer science are invited to apply. U.S. citizenship is required.

Students comment about their apprenticeship experience at Applied Research Laboratories.

History of the program

The S&EAP began as a part of the ongoing Department of Defense Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program for High School Students. A long-term goal of the program is to encourage students to pursue careers in the science and engineering disciplines, particularly in areas related to the needs of the U.S. Department of Defense. ARL:UT accomplishes this goal by carefully assigning each student to a research project that can be completed during the summer. When the program started the summer of 1982, nine students from five local high schools participated. Including the students from Summer 2011, 482 students have taken part in the program, and most have gone on to major in science or engineering in colleges throughout the United States.

In addition to placement at AR:UTL, small groups of students have worked at other UT research laboratories including the Institute for Advanced Technology (IAT), the Institute for Geophysics (UTIG), the Center for Electromechanics (CEM), and the Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory (TARL). These placements are funded by the Independent Research and Development Program at ARL:UT and by internal funds at other laboratories.

Student selection

Students are selected on the basis of their academic records, Scholastic Aptitude Test results, written applications, and chosen college major. Preference is given to students who will be attending UT Austin, and U. S. citizenship is required. Final selection is made by committee.

Benefits to students & the university

The intelligence, energy, and lively curiosity of studentsin the S&EAP is invigorating to the laboratory staff. Each student is supervised by a research scientist or engineer who value the students' fresh perspective and ideas. The technical reports written at the end of the summer are informative and, most of all, encouraging with respect to the preparation of American youth for careers in science and engineering. Some of the research results may even be of archival journal quality; these will be edited, appropriately rewritten, and submitted accordingly.

Although the participating laboratories value this program for the opportunity to introduce high school students to the realm of scientific and engineering research, the apprenticeships have been rewarding in other ways as well. Many of the apprentices have returned to ARL:UT in student and research positions and have stayed on to contribute for several years.

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Any questions? Contact education@arlut.utexas.edu