Infusing Undergraduate Research into the Curriculum
This section provides additional resources to faculty who are interested in integrating research into their assigned courses. The content was developed during the spring 2023 semester, through a funded Research-Intensive Faculty Learning Community (RI-FLC).
Infusing Undergraduate Research into Specific Disciplines (Coursework)
Learn more about how some faculty have infused undergraduate research into courses in their disciplines’ coursework.
Applied Science
Arts and Humanities
- Languages, Linguistics, and Comparative Literature: Introduction to Latin American Studies
- Philosophy: Biomedical Ethics
Health Sciences
Natural Sciences
- Biology: Biological Sciences (Large Lecture)
- Biology: Microbiology (Large Lecture-RI Subsection)
- Mathematics: Calculus (Large Lecture)
Social Science
- Criminal Justice: Drug Court
- Education: Special Education
- Psychology: Evolutionary Psychology
- Public Health, Health Promotion, and Behavioral Sciences
Why Undergraduate Research?
Several studies have cited the critical role undergraduate research plays in student’s academic success, learning, and development, including increased retention and higher graduation ratings (Baron, Brown, Cummings, & Mengeling, 2020)
- Enhanced participation of students from underrepresented groups or from diverse backgrounds (Eagan et al., 2013)
- High-Impact Practices (HIPs) such as undergraduate research are educational practices that research has shown to increase rates of student retention, student engagement, and persistence to graduation for all students across diverse backgrounds (AAC&U, 2023).
- The benefits of participation in undergraduate research, including for students from non-White backgrounds in terms of retention, graduation, deep learning, and self-efficacy, has been substantiated as well (Bhattacharyya, Chan, and Waraczynski 2018; Chan, Bhattacharyya, and Meisel 2018; Mandernach 2015; Sweat et al. 2013).
- Students who are involved in undergraduate research are two times more likely to enroll in graduate schools than students who are not involved in research activities while in the undergraduate nursing program. Undergraduate research is typically implemented in various formats to include curricular and co-curricular activities. However, course-embedded research has the potential to broaden undergraduate research participation and early engagement in research in all disciplines (Prajukti B., et.al., 2020).