Students accepted to the START program will choose from a group of projects to explore a research question. Each project is led by a faculty mentor and may have multiple students.

A student's overall contribution to the project is referred to as their Discovery Opportunity. Completion of a Discovery Opportunity will involve meeting research targets along the way. Research targets may involve a range of possible tasks that include learning how to use instruments, attending academic conferences, running experiments and/or presenting your work.

START mission statement

The Mathematics and Sciences Division's START program seeks to increase students' retention and success in the Associate in Engineering and Associate in Science programs. Similarly, the program aims to improve engineering, quantitative and scientific literacy. Students will actively participate in faculty-mentored, co-curricular discovery opportunities. The hands-on research and engagement with the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) community will enrich students' academic experience. They also will develop technical skills and increase their ability to be competitive in higher education and the STEM workforce.

Students may have the opportunity to work on research projects and interact with peers from our partner institutions and have campus tours.

Four-year partners

Additional partners

Qualifications and expectations

• Enrolled as a Wake Tech student during the internship
• At least 18 years old
• Aspire to transfer to a four-year university
• Legally eligible to work in the U.S.
• Interested in a future career or degree program related to STEM
• Weren't an applicant in the previous semester who wasn't selected for the program
• No GPA requirement
• Dedicate 60 hours per semester to internship (40 hours to research, 15 hours to weekly seminar, five hours to campus tours and community building), along with an oral or written communication piece
• Agree to be a part of the evaluation study related to the grant