Undergraduate Research Program
The College of Engineering encourages you to get involved with undergraduate research, which can be as early as your freshmen year; however, enrollment in the Undergraduate Research Program and Undergraduate Research Honors Program generally begins during your junior or senior year. In addition to gaining marketable applied engineering skills, you’ll have the opportunity to work with research faculty and graduate student, make your own research contributions and attend and present at conferences. Compensation is possible depending upon your faculty adviser.
Important Notes
Each department will have specific criteria for enrollment in the Undergraduate Research Program and the Undergraduate Research Honors Program. Please contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies in your home department or the Director of Advising for more information. Typically, you will enroll in 4990 or 4995 (honors) course (with faculty permission); it is variable credit (1-6 credits) for either 1 or 2 semesters. At the end of the program, you will typically write a research paper and present a poster at the Undergraduate Research & Creative Achievement Forum on the MU campus.
Requirements
Contacts
Undergraduate Honors Research Program
The Honors Research Program allows you to apply up to six hours of undergraduate research coursework toward graduate credit if you want to pursue a Masters or Ph.D. degree at MU. This can shorten your graduate career by counting up to six hours of undergraduate course work toward graduate credit, making it possible to obtain a BS/MS within a 5-year time frame. The Honors Research Program also allows you to develop expertise that can help you start immediately on a graduate-level research project when you go to graduate school. Please contact your home department for more information on the program. It also allows you to develop expertise that can help you start immediately on a graduate-level research project when you go to grad school.
Students are eligible for the Honors Research Program beginning their senior years and may participate in both Honors Research and the Undergraduate Research Program simultaneously.
- In addition, you will work out a thesis as part of the program.
- Six hours can count towards your graduate degree.
- The same requirements as the Undergraduate Research Program apply.
Important Notes
If you enroll in Honors Research, you will have to participate in a 4995 course. Each course is different based on your department, and you will then receive academic credit for your Undergraduate Research.
- There is no pay associated with the Honors Research Program.
- You’ll be encouraged to jointly enroll in graduate school during last 15 hours of your bachelor’s degree, so any additional coursework you take as an undergraduate (and not required for your degree) can be used for graduate credit.
Requirements
- Maintain a 3.0 overall GPA
- Identify a faculty mentor to oversee and direct your research and evaluate your performance in your 4995 class.
- On the application form, you must have a signature from a faculty mentor.