Undergraduate Research
Other On-Campus Research Opportunities
Collaborating with SU faculty on independent research broadens students’ learning beyond the classroom, sharpens their analytical thinking, and prepares them for graduate-level study.
In addition to those who participate in our successful SCOPE program, Southwestern undergraduates regularly engage in faculty-mentored research opportunities on campus through Faculty–Student Projects (FSPs) and the Research Assistantship Program.
FSPs empower students to collaborate one-on-one with faculty on laboratory research, archival research, research in preparation for honors theses or other significant student projects, and projects in the studio arts, music, and theatre. By providing funding for up to eight weeks in the summer for student stipends, housing, travel, and other project-related expenses, students will deepen their understanding of their research field while contributing to the creation of new scholarship.
In our Research Assistantship Program, faculty may hire student research assistants to
- help develop literature reviews
- provide laboratory assistance
- conduct local or digital archival research
- participate in fieldwork
- collect qualitative data (e.g., through interviewing or survey programming)
- prepare and analyze data (e.g., transcription or coding)
- collaborate on preparing a manuscript for publication (e.g., copyediting and indexing)
- assist with securing image permissions
Southwestern students who participate in faculty-mentored research broaden their understanding of specific disciplines beyond the classroom, explore and clarify their career paths, and develop transferable skills that are valued by graduate programs and employers alike.