Course Overview!

The Certificate in Liberal Arts Research is an undergraduate program designed to equip students with valuable research skills and experience. The program cultivates research abilities, enhancing students' marketability for employment and graduate school applications. Students complete coursework, a culminating project (ePortfolio, exhibition, internship, etc.), a presentation, and a reflective assessment to earn the certificate. The program fosters engagement in research, either within a single department or across disciplines, providing a structured pathway towards developing essential research skills and a portfolio demonstrating research competencies.

Course Structure

The certificate program demands a structured approach involving several key components. Firstly, students must complete 12 credit hours of supporting courses with an undergraduate research component, with a 3.2 GPA minimum across these courses. At least half the credits must be from 3000-level or higher courses, with a maximum of 25% from transfer credits (requiring mentor approval). Secondly, a culminating research project is required, such as an ePortfolio, exhibition, lecture-recital, internship, or peer-reviewed journal article, requiring mentor approval. Thirdly, a presentation based on the research project is needed (locally or at a national/regional conference) and assessed via a rubric by the student's mentor. Finally, an application with student information, a research agenda justification, mentor support, and a research worksheet needs to be submitted. A post-completion survey and reflective questions about the research experience are also necessary.