Applied Research Laboratories

Answers to frequently asked questions

1. What is the advantage/difference in applying for the Honors program vs an ongoing student position? The title (Student Tech) and salary for both would be the same. The Honors program is very competitive, so being selected into this program allows you to note that honor on your resume. Also, since we will hire 15-16 students into the program, it gives you a much better chance to be offered a student position. With the ongoing student positions, it would be up to an individual supervisor to reach out to you about their particular hiring needs. An Honors Scholar gets to work a complete project from inception to conclusion, and if the work is releasable and publishable, becomes an author on a STEM publication. These projects are more challenging than tasks associated with regular ongoing student positions. This level-up can be noted on a resume, and supervisors call it out for distinction in letters of recommendation.
2. What if I am interested in both an Honors position and one of the ongoing student positions? Please just let us know when you send your email in with your Honors application, and we will be certain to consider you for both the Honors Program and an ongoing position. Also, any students not selected for the Honors Program automatically have their applications entered in the main student database that is available to all the ARL hiring managers. Some additional Honors applicants, that are not selected for the Honors program, receive student job offers every spring.
3. Is there a specific time to apply? For the Honors Program, the deadline to apply this year is 2/9/2024. If you are applying for one of our ongoing student positions, applications are accepted all year.
4. Tell me a little bit more about the Honors hiring process. Sure. Once all applications are received, we select 30 candidates to interview. These individuals will interview with two ARL staff, in two back-to-back 30-minute interviews. Please be sure when listing your interview availability times, not to list the weekend or hours after 5:00 p.m. No one will be able to interview you at that time! Once all candidates are interviewed, final selections will be made to the program and offer letters sent out. We plan on interviewing 2/12/24–2/16/24, and making final decisions by February 23^rd. The program starts this year on June 3^rd, 2024.
5. How many hours a week do you work for each type of appointment? For the Honors, you work 40 hours a week for the summer. For an ongoing student position, you typically will work 10-12 hours per week. Some students in ongoing positions will then increase to 40 hours a week during the summer semester.
6. Do you have a maximum number of work hours for the ongoing positions? Yes, a student’s total registered class hours, plus any appointed hours for campus positions, cannot equal more than 40 hours per week. For example, if you are registered for 16 hours in class, and work for ARL for 20 hours per week, you would have a total of 36 hours, which is still four hours under the 40 hour per week threshold. Of course, any appointed work hours must be approved by the hiring manager.
7. Are you flexible with the work hours? Again the Honors positions are appointed for a 40-hour work week, but students working part-time hours (any hours less than 40 hours per week), do have flexibility with their schedule. We understand that school comes first, and supervisors at ARL are very flexible working around a student’s class schedule.
8. Do I have to have specific coursework, or specific qualifications, for the Honors program? No, you are not expected to have already taken specific coursework to apply for – or be in – the Honors program. However, students that have had a previous summer internship, or more class hours, will likely be better matched to submitted project proposals for the summer program.
9. If I don’t get into the Honors Program this year, can I apply again next year? Yes absolutely if you still qualify. We solicit the deans of both engineering and natural sciences for our student list each year, so if you are on the list they send us next year (per the criteria we ask for), then you would be eligible to apply again.
10. Will I have other students to work with while at ARL? For the Honors program, we often try to pair up an Honors Scholar with a local high school student (Apprenticeship Program). This is another summer program we run where we take about 15-16 high school seniors that have just graduated, and bring them to ARL for a similar summer program. In addition to this, you often have the opportunity to work with other ARL students, including graduate students at UT.
11. Can I work remotely as a student? Typically no. And there are many reasons for that. The principle one is ARL’s security requirements and training – work can’t just leave the building, so you have to complete work while at ARL. A student also needs to work under the direct guidance of an onsite ARL supervisor.
12. What type of project might I be working on as an Honors Scholar? We have to consider first all the project submissions received from within the lab. After students are interviewed, selected, and job offers are accepted, we then match up the students to the submitted project proposals, based on the student’s major and interest.
13. What if I don’t have transportation to get out to ARL? The Cap Metro bus route (route 803), picks up students from campus and will bring them out directly to the PRC campus and to ARL. It is about a 20-minute bus ride. And again, we are flexible working with student schedules. If you want to work at ARL but your course schedule is not flexible this semester, that would be something to think about when registering for classes next semester.
14. If I have transportation, how does the parking work? As a student, you would need a C permit to park at ARL. Fortunately – and unlike campus – almost all parking at the PRC campus is a UT parking permit only, so really not restricted like main campus is.
15. Can I take coursework over the summer? Does ARL pay for coursework? Not if it requires you to be absent during the workday (8-5 Monday through Friday). The Honors Scholars program is a full-time summer position for 40 hours per week, and we expect you to be here working during that time. If, however, you take coursework online or outside of the workday, that is fine. We do not cover the cost of any coursework if you are an undergrad student who starts with us during the summer semester. We do have a program during the long semesters that could potentially cover some partial tuition for you if you qualify.