Undergraduate Research: Introduction

What is Undergraduate Research?

Undergraduate research is a collaboration between a student and a faculty member in making a creative, original contribution to a given discipline, first by investigating that topic, then by sharing their findings with the academic community, usually through a conference presentation or journal publication. 

 This research is not limited to the traditional sciences, but includes the arts, education, engineering, health sciences, humanities, or any other topic which interests a student. Original creative work is also included (writing a short story or screenplay with a faculty mentor, for example).  Research projects can be anything from the investigation of the growth of cancer cells in cats to a study of common themes in 18^th century Russian poetry, from interviewing survivors of a natural disaster to working with a local business in designing a new marketing campaign.

 The research enhances the student’s involvement in and knowledge of a given field and brings new ideas to all who are interested in that field, therefore encouraging further research or creative work.

Why do undergraduate research?

Original work, whether creative or research-based, takes a great deal of time for the student and the faculty mentor.  Undergraduate research, however, demonstrates that the student can apply knowledge outside the classroom and also demonstrates good communication skills, in the form of a conference presentation or publication.  For employers or graduate school admissions personnel, seeing completed undergraduate research projects on a résumé is becoming increasingly important.  Additionally, the student who completes undergraduate research will have a more thorough and well-rounded knowledge of the field and will fare much better than the student who just accepts a grade for a class and stops there.

Who does undergraduate research?

At WCU, students in all majors (Honors and non-Honors) engage in original creative work or research. Some students have started as early as their very first semester; each year, numerous freshmen do projects that are accepted for the Undergraduate Expo at WCU or the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.  Students work not only within their own departments, but also with the help of related departments—some freshmen who commence successful undergraduate research might not have declared a major yet.

How does WCU support undergraduate research?

For information on the numerous ways in which WCU funds undergraduate research projects, check the “Grants” section of this manual.  Grants/Funding/Scholarships for Undergraduate Research at WCU

Now, start working!