Overview
Faculty in the Department of Computer Science at Carleton maintain rich research programs, in a wide variety of topics. Although some of our work sits within the traditional boundaries of computer science, much more of our research is interdisciplinary, as we work to examine how computing can answer questions and provide useful tools in many contexts. Our faculty present and publish at major research conferences and in academic journals.
Opportunities for Students
We are committed to working with undergraduates in our research, and a considerable portion of our published work is coauthored by Carleton students.
The majority of our research opportunities for students take place over the summer, and are paid positions. For opportunities to get involved with research during the academic year, follow our department newsletter and cs-interest list emails for advertisements.
2026 Summer Research with a Department Faculty Member
The Computer Science Department at Carleton College is committed to providing undergraduate students with research opportunities. The majority of our research opportunities take place over the summer, and are paid positions. The standard rate for 2026 is $580/week of full-time research ($580/wk for full-time work, paid hourly at $14.50/hr) for up to 10 weeks (summer).
The 2026 Research Application will open on the afternoon of 1/29/26 along with the page listing the 2026 projects (both links will be below). To be eligible to apply, you must be a current Carleton student. Graduating seniors are not eligible. The deadline to apply is: February 13, 2026. Students will be notified by the end of winter term.
You will be asked to indicate your project(s) of interest and submit an unofficial Carleton transcript as part of the application process. Your application is not complete until we receive an unofficial Carleton transcript.
Students are supported through a variety of grant programs; ultimately, how many students we hire will depend on how much grant money we receive.
2026 Summer Liberal Arts Institute
The Carleton Summer Liberal Arts Institute (SLAI) Computer Science program is a 3-week summer experience for high school students. We hire Carleton students to work as teaching assistants (TAs) for the program. These TAs work with the high school students to help them learn CS content both in structured labs and also in open-ended research projects. You can read more in this TA job description. To indicate your interest, submit an application. For full consideration, apply by Wednesday, February 27. Applications received after that will continue to be reviewed until the positions are filled.
Can I apply to work as a Summer Researcher and for TA for a SLAI job?
It is common for students to apply for both positions described above, and if they are both of interest to you, you are encouraged to do so. In some cases research positions with a faculty member are only offered for part of the summer. Therefore, we sometimes combine the two positions: students may work on a faculty member’s research for part of the summer, and work as a SLAI TA for another part of the summer. It is also the case that if you apply for both positions, it increases the number of jobs you are eligible for. There may be specific research positions that are not compatible with working for SLAI. The research project descriptions include language about the possibility of working for both.
Summer Assistant System Adminstrators
Mike Tie is looking for up to 3 Assistant System Administrator(s) to help him over the summer set up labs and classrooms for the upcoming school year. There will be some programming, writing of documentation, building of web pages, lots of software installations and imaging. You might help faculty and summer researchers with anything and everything related to computers. You’ll work with linux, Windows, and OSX. No experience needed; you will be trained as you go. The position is budgeted for 10 weeks of the summer, and that leaves you time to still enjoy a summer vacation. And best of all, you could continue working for Mike during the school year. Interested students, fill out this form.