UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ACROSS THE GEOSCIENCE CURRICULUM: INDEPENDENT STUDY PROJECTS AND SENIOR THESIS

Undergraduate research is one of the most exciting and effective ways to promote student learning. The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) defines undergraduate research as: Any inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline is defined as research. Attributes of undergraduate research include self-directed work, under the supervision of a mentor, which enables students to explore issues of interest to them, make consequential contributions to science, and communicates the results to others.

An independent study project or senior thesis is a large, individual research project that students undertake during their junior or senior year in college. Students usually work closely with an adviser to determine a question or topic to explore and to design a research plan. In most cases, the student is involved from the initial planning through implementation to final product.

We outline how to best design and implement a successful independent/senior thesis. We outline the following critical strategies: (1) Determine that all the needed resources are available; (2) Consider making a contract with the student and clearly outline expectations for working with undergraduate students (3) Often the originally designed project no longer can be adhered to. Be prepared to redesign the project either by expanding it or contracting the scope of the project goals; and (4) When working on a student-designed project that is outside your expertise, realize that it will require more time. We offer additional strategies and considerations for avoiding and overcoming problems you and your students may encounter.

The success of doing senior or independent research is culled from alumni who state that their senior/independent work was the hardest but most rewarding effort they had done as a geology major. Many alumni felt it gave them the confidence to enter graduate work in geology, or gave them skills to tackle a new job with confidence.