Skip to main content

Bioengineering Scholar High School Internship Project (BE-SHIP)

The Bioengineering Scholar High School Internship Project (BE-SHIP) provides high school students with the opportunity to independently propose, execute, and present a bioengineering research project in collaboration with a university research laboratory. Structured around the Bioengineering Research Project (BERP) sequence—comprising a proposal phase followed by a research and reporting phase—the program supports a range of academic goals: Fall and Winter sessions are particularly aligned with preparation for science and engineering fairs, while Spring and Summer sessions are intended to support advanced students in refining their research for conference abstracts, manuscripts, or other scholarly outputs. 

BE-SHIP Course Progression

Students who complete a BE-BOAT and BE-ROW are eligible for BE-SHIP. Students typically progress from BE-BOAT and BE-ROW to BERP-A then BERP-B. Students who demonstrate exceptional performance in BERP-A/B may be approved to continue for an on-site Summer Internship Project as BE-SHSP, with preparation in the preceding Spring Quarter.

Fall 2025

BioEngineering Research Project A – Proposal (BERP-A)

Winter 2026

BioEngineering Research Project B – Proposal (BERP-B)

Spring & Summer 2026

Bioengineering Scholar High School Summer Project (BE-SHSP)

Quarter Dates, Schedules, and Deadlines

BioEngineering Research Project A – Proposal (BERP-A) - Live Online - Fall 2025

REQUIRED PREREQUISITE: Completion of BE-BOAT course AND BE-ROW course. Enrollment must also be approved by the instructor. Please email bextship@ucsd.edu for further information.

  • Dates: October 4, 2025 - November 22, 2025 
  • Units: 3.00 Pre-College units, 90000 level
  • Open to: 9th-12th grade students
  • Application: CLOSED
  • Application Deadline: September 13, 2025
  • Payment Deadline: Payment is due within two weeks of acceptance. For students accepted after September 13, payment is due by September 26.
  • Course Delivery: Online
  • Tuition: $2,600 
  • Prerequisite: Completion of BE-BOAT course AND BE-ROW course. Enrollment must also be approved by the instructor. Please email bextship@ucsd.edu for further information.
  • Schedule:
    • Survey will be sent out to enrolled participants to determine schedule availability
    • 1 hour lecture and discussion - live zoom sessions
    • 1 hour lab meeting
    • 3-6 hours of homework
  • Instructor: Professor Robert L. Sah

Plan a Bioengineering Research Project: In this preparatory course, students collaborate with a bioengineering research laboratory to develop a design- or science-focused internship project suitable for execution in the following academic quarter. Building upon foundational knowledge acquired through a prerequisite BE-BOAT course, students will engage in a structured process that includes literature review, problem or research question definition, study design, and preliminary pilot studies. The resulting research proposal may be tailored to support applications to science and engineering fairs or other scholarly venues.

BioEngineering Research Project B – Proposal (BERP-B) - Live Online OR Hybrid - Winter 2026

REQUIRED PREREQUISITE: Completion of BE-BOAT, BE-ROW and BERP-A. Enrollment must also be approved by the instructor. Please email bextship@ucsd.edu for further information.

 

  • Dates: January 10, 2026 to March 1, 2026
  • Units: 3.00 Pre-College units, 90000 level
  • Open to: 9th-12th grade students
  • Application: Click here to apply!
  • Application Deadline: December 18, 2025 
  • Payment Deadline: Payment is due within two weeks of acceptance. For students accepted after December 18th, payment is due by January 1st.
  • Course Delivery: Online or Hybrid
  • Tuition:  $2,600 (Online), $3,000 (Hybrid) in addition to a potential $500 lab fee.
  • Schedule: 
    • Students can expect 6-10 hours of in-class work each week in addition to three to six hours of homework.
    • Classtime consists of lectures, discussions, and lab meetings. Weekly times will be based around a student's availability. 
  • Instructor: Professor Robert L. Sah

Conduct a Bioengineering Research Project: In this course, students will implement their proposed research project through active experimentation and data acquisition, with potential support from a collaborating research laboratory. Students will analyze and interpret their findings, develop a scientific abstract and research paper, and prepare a formal presentation of their work. Projects may be structured to align with the requirements of science and engineering fair submissions or other academic presentation formats.

Bioengineering Scholar High School Summer Project (BE-SHSP) - Hybrid - Spring 2026

REQUIRED PREREQUISITE: BERP-B or BEI2R, AND Instructor's approval. Enrollment must be approved by the instructor. Please email bextship@ucsd.edu for further information.

  • Dates: April 4, 2026 to May 24, 2026 (Spring 2026)
  • Units: 12.00 Pre-College units, 90000 level
  • Open to: 9th-12th grade students
  • Application: Please email bextship@ucsd.edu to request to be admitted to the course. Must have completed BERP-B or BEI2R, and have instructor's approval.
  • Application Deadline: Coming Soon! Please email bextship@ucsd.edu to request to be admitted to the course. 
  • Payment Deadline: TBD
  • Course Delivery: Hybrid
  • Tuition: TBD
  • Schedule:
    • 2hr weekend and 4-8 hr total (2-6 hr additional homework) each week, for 8 weeks.

  • Instructor: Professor Robert L. Sah

This competitive internship program offers rising high school students a state-of-the-art research experience within the field of Bioengineering. Over the course of eight weeks, students will be integrated into cutting-edge research laboratories at UC San Diego, working under the guidance of a laboratory mentor and faculty investigator on projects spanning from early-stage scientific discovery to applied biomedical development. Research topics may include molecular, cellular, and tissue-level investigations, with applications related to musculoskeletal diseases such as sports injuries, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and skeletal dysplasias. In addition to hands-on research, participants will gain a broad overview of the field through specialized lectures, site visits to local biotechnology and biomedical engineering companies, and career pathway discussions led by leading experts in the

Bioengineering Scholar High School Summer Project (BE-SHSP) - Hybrid - Summer 2026

REQUIRED PREREQUISITE: BERP-B or BEI2R, AND Instructor's approval. Enrollment must be approved by the instructor. Please email bextship@ucsd.edu for further information.

  • Dates: June 8, 2026 to August 14, 2026 (June 8-26 and/or July 6-24 on stie))
  • Units: 12.00 Pre-College units, 90000 level
  • Open to: 9th-12th grade students
  • Application: Please email bextship@ucsd.edu to request to be admitted to the course. Must have completed BERP-B or BEI2R, and have instructor's approval.
  • Application Deadline: Coming Soon! Please email bextship@ucsd.edu to request to be admitted to the course. 
  • Payment Deadline: TBD
  • Course Delivery: Hybrid
  • Tuition: TBD
  • Schedule:
    • Students can expect 120 hours of participation and work.
  • Instructor: Professor Robert L. Sah

This competitive summer internship program offers rising high school students a state-of-the-art research experience within the field of Bioengineering. Over the course of the program, students will be integrated into cutting-edge research laboratories at UC San Diego, working under the guidance of a laboratory mentor and faculty investigator on projects spanning from early-stage scientific discovery to applied biomedical development. Research topics may include molecular, cellular, and tissue-level investigations, with applications related to musculoskeletal diseases such as sports injuries, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and skeletal dysplasias. In addition to hands-on research, participants will gain a broad overview of the field through specialized lectures, site visits to local biotechnology and biomedical engineering companies, and career pathway discussions led by leading experts in the

Other Program Information

 

Fees, Eligibility, and Laboratory Kit Requirements for Remote Participants:

Students enrolled in the home lab (online) format will receive laboratory kits shipped directly to their designated address; these kits are included in the tuition fee and may be provided on a loan basis. To remain in good standing and maintain eligibility for future UC San Diego Research Scholars programs, all loaned materials must be returned promptly upon course completion. Students should also anticipate an estimated out-of-pocket cost of approximately $50 for locally sourced miscellaneous supplies.

International applicants are advised that additional shipping fees may apply. Furthermore, due to customs regulations in certain countries, some students may encounter restrictions that prevent the delivery of required materials. Nevertheless, all interested applicants are encouraged to apply, as individual circumstances will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Eligibility Criteria – Grade Level and Age Requirements:

Applicants must be current high school students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 and possess a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. For enrollment in online courses, students must be at least 14 years of age by the start date of the course. For participation in in-person courses, students must be at least 15 years of age by the commencement of the program.

Fall, Winter, and Spring Cancellation/Refund Policies:

Fall, Winter, and Spring 

  • Cancellation or withdrawal for any reason prior to one week before the start date (request must be sent with a minimum of 7 days in advance) will receive a full refund 
  • Cancellation or withdrawal for any reason within the week prior to the start date (7 days before the start date)will receive 50% refund  
  • Refunds for cancellation or withdrawal once the course has already started  will onlybe issued for serious illness (doctor's certificate is required) or extenuating circumstances only. Tuition is not refunded for students who are dismissed from the program or who leave because of homesickness, behavioral issues, or failure to comply with covid policies.  
  • For courses with pre-requisites of a prior course and/or instructor permission, a full refund will be provided if continuation is not allowed.  

All refund requests must be made in writing to Anais Perez, Program Manager, UC San Diego Pre-College Programs at: precollege@ucsd.edu. You will receive a confirmation of your request. Refunds will take approximately 4-6 weeks to process. Refunds are issued in the same method of payment (check or charge) of payment to UC Regents.

Summer Cancellation/Refund Policies:

Summer 

  • Cancellation or withdrawal for any reason 6 weeks prior to the start date will receive a full refund 
  • Cancellation or withdrawal for any reason 4 weeks prior to the start datewill receive 50% refund  
  • Refunds for cancellation or withdrawal within 4 weeks prior to the start of the program will onlybe issued for serious illness (doctor's certificate is required) or extenuating circumstances only. Tuition is not refunded for students who are dismissed from the program or who leave because of homesickness. 
  • For courses with pre-requisites of a prior course and/or instructor permission, a full refund will be provided if continuation is not allowed.  

All refund requests must be made in writing to Anais Perez, Program Manager, UC San Diego Pre-College Programs at: precollege@ucsd.edu. You will receive a confirmation of your request. Refunds will take approximately 4-6 weeks to process. Refunds are issued in the same method of payment (check or charge) of payment to UC Regents.