Undergraduate Research Program

Welcome to the Undergraduate Research Program website, which includes information about the resources available to support and fund undergraduate research. Our office assists all undergraduates as they develop and conduct research and share their work at academic conferences, in scholarly publications, or in various venues across campus.

For many students, the word research conjures visions of laboratories with rows of scientists cloaked in white bent over beakers. The reality, however, is that any student can conduct research under the guidance of a faculty-mentor, research that may lead to the student presenting at an academic conference or publishing an article. It’s true that certain majors, like some of the sciences, have research opportunities built into their programs, whereas others require a bit more initiative on the part of the student, but research can occur in any field. Our department will guide you as you navigate the university system in pursuit of research opportunities.

APU regards research as an important component of your undergraduate education, especially as a vehicle for sharing our Christ-centered mission with the world. Research—broadly defined as a creative or scholarly inquiry or investigation that makes an original contribution to your discipline1—prepares you for, and propels you toward, your professional goals, sharpens your analytical and narrative abilities, arms you with the confidence to succeed, teaches you collaboration skills, and prepares you to be creative, productive, compassionate colleagues and leaders in your chosen profession.

Already, APU undergraduate students engage in a wide variety of research. In addition to experiments in the hard sciences such as exploring mirror neurons during acts of worship, students have critically analyzed the works of Jane Austen, examined factors prompting Christians to leave the Church, studied the spread of Christianity among indigenous peoples, highlighted gender bias in Disney films and television, and touted the benefits of music on speech-impaired children. Whatever your interests, we look forward to assisting you with your research goals.

Footnotes

  1. Based on the Council on Undergraduate Research’s definition of undergraduate research.