Undergraduate Research | Capital University, Columbus Ohio
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    Undergraduate Research

Home   /    Academics   /    Services and Programs   /    Undergraduate Research

  • Put Yourself Ahead 

    Examine the copper toxicity of fish in Ohio lakes and rivers. Travel to the Bahamas to study oceanography. Explore the interaction of music and physics in the natural world. 
    We know that getting involved in original research as an undergraduate can put you lightyears ahead of the competition when it comes to graduate school. That’s why you’ll find opportunities for undergraduate research projects in just about every field or major we offer.

    Do Something New

    In high school it often seems you spend all your time learning about what others have done. But at Capital University, we encourage you to conduct new research that adds to the world’s knowledge in valuable ways. We’re talking about work that’s never been done before. Through papers and even presentations at local, regional and national conferences, you’ll share your findings with members of the scientific community and add to the body of work that advances your field into the future.

    Present Your Findings

    Our students regularly present at regional and national academic meetings, including the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, the American Psychological Society or the Midwest Regional Fish and Wildlife Conference. Capital even presents its own annual Undergraduate Symposium on Scholarship each year to highlight students’ research accomplishments. We also highlight the empirical research conducted by Capital University students in Epistimi: Capital University’s Undergraduate Research Journal and literary arts work of our students and others are published in Capital University’s ReCap magazine.

    HOW DOES CAPITAL DO IT?

    • One-on-one faculty mentorships – Your faculty mentors will work with you step by step as you define your study, collect the data and summarize your findings and conclusions. See great examples of this undergraduate research by visiting our Summer Scholars program site where students discuss their research projects. 
    • Industry mentorships – Take advantage of Capital’s location in Ohio's capital city of Columbus, home to many industry leaders, and our strong network of research opportunities throughout the community, including the Great Lakes Environmental Center and the Ohio Supercomputer Center. 
    • Field research – Get out there and get involved, studying topics like the effects of coal-burning power plants on trees in Central Ohio or coral reef ecology in Cozumel, Mexico.

     

    • Q

      Can I do Undergraduate Research with another student? More than one?

      A

      Students may work with other students on scholarship projects. If a student is earning credit for these experiences (e.g., as an Independent Study or Honors Capstone), each student’s contribution must be clearly distinguished and articulate in the scholarship proposal.

      Questions? Contact Symposium Planning Committee at symposium@capital.edu

      Email Us

    • Q

      Is Undergraduate research considered credit-bearing learning at Capital?

      A

      There are a variety of ways that students can obtain credit for completing undergraduate scholarship. Scholarship projects may be part of an existing course. Students may enroll in an Independent Study for credit. The number of credits earned depends on the amount of work that a student completes. Enrolling in an Independent Study requires prior approval of a faculty member. Students enrolled in the Honors Program complete their Capstone projects in the  HONS 305 and HONS 405 courses and earn a total of 4 credits across these two classes.

      Questions? Contact Symposium Planning Committee at symposium@capital.edu

      Email Us

    • Q

      How do I go about finding a faculty mentor in my major/department? Are there specific faculty members who provide mentoring?

      A

      Students may identify a faculty mentor based on their areas of interest, perhaps sparked by something they learn in a class. Students may talk to their course instructors, their academic advisor or their department chair if they need help identifying a mentor for a project that they might be interested in.

      Search our directory by department for faculty at Capital.

      Go to Directory

    • Q

      Can any student at Capital participate in Undergraduate Research and the Symposium or is this for honors students only?

      A

      Yes! All Capital students are welcomed and encouraged to engage in scholarship and to present their work at the Symposium.

      See our Symposium Program for samples of abstracts submitted by students.

      Download Program

    • The Freedom to Write

      Abby Goodheart

      The Freedom to Write It's every writer's dream: to be freed from the daily worries of life with plenty of time to write. Abby Goodhart's dream came true when she was awarded an Undergraduate Research Summer Fellowship to spend the summer writing poetry. Gifts from Capital University alumni and fr...

    • Summer Scholar Valerie Szabo debunks fake news with fact-checking technology and research

      Valerie Szabo

      From adolescence through adulthood,  we’re observing a generation who appears remarkably fluent in multi-tasking. They weave through social media sites effortlessly, text friends with lightning speed, and journal nearly every hour of their lives through the lens of a smartphone. Collectively, we’re Generation Tech.But we’re also finding out that, despite having endless access to information, Generation Tech is becoming increasingly clueless when it comes to filtering accuracy and trustworthiness in the 24/7/365 news cycle afforded by modern technology.That’s the topical space where Valerie Szabo, a rising senior at Capital University, is spending her summer as part of a 10-week research project. She is one of eight Capital students who have been awarded the honor of Summer Scholar, participating in a high-impact program offered here, which allows students to conduct their own research on campus with a faculty mentor....

    • Rebel with a Cause

      Moriah Reichert Feature
      Radical change and historical reformers inspire Moriah Reichert to do more – not less.

      Growing up as the daughter of a Lutheran pastor in a rural Ohio, Moriah Reichert knows the inescapable awareness and responsibility being “the pastor's kid" brings. In a town barely...

    • Capital Sends 15 to Present at National Conference on Undergraduate Research

      NCUR Inset

      Capital Sends 15 to Present at National Conference on Undergraduate Research Fifteen Capital University students were invited to present their research at the respected annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research, held in April at the University of Central Oklahoma. With more than 4,0...

    • Capital University's Summer Scholars Class of 2018

      Summer Scholars story image

      This year's class of Summer Scholars will be covering a broad timeline as they research a wide field of compelling topics. From the beginnings of uncharted cultural history to explorations into artificial intelligence for game programming, the tradition of undergraduate scholarship continues to be showcased this summer at Capital University. ...

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  • Undergraduate Research

    This type of scholarship is just one of the high-impact practices Capital uses to improve student learning, contribute to the body of knowledge and prepare students for the next step they want to take.