Pathways to Research Program
Applications for the 2012-2013 school year are now open.
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Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP) sponsors a Pathways to Research Program for EOP students interested n building exposure and an action plan to engage in academic research.The program seeks to serve 30-36 students with academic majors in the Humanities and Social Sciences as undergraduate research mentees.
Students selected to be part of the Pathways to Research Program will be paired up with a graduate student mentor in their respective area of study to develop a year-long plan regarding involvement in research and post graduation plans.
Eligibility
Participants in the Pathways to Research Program will be selected on a competitive basis. Eligible students must:
a)Be EOP students majoring the humanities, or social sciences;
b)Have sophomore, junior or senior standing
c)Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above; and
d)Demonstrate an interest in getting involved in research and pursuing a graduate degree.
e)Have completed the C1 writing requirement
Program Description
The goal of the Pathways to Research Program is to expose undergraduate students to researchopportunities and research based graduate programs.Along with their graduate mentor, participating students will determine their short term goal for the quarter and long term goal for the school year related to exploration of and involvement in research and engage in bi-weekly meetings to report on progress and plan next steps to reach those goals. Because students will vary on their entry and exit points, steps will include but are not limited to the following:
Stage 1: Developing Research Interests
Graduate mentor will work with student to explore research interests and the overall goals and components of research including library research skills.
Stage 2: Researching Faculty and Research Opportunities
Graduate Mentor will work with student to research faculty’s ongoing work and read work related to interests. Exploration of outside summer opportunities will also be included
Stage 3: Contacting faculty members
Once interests are developed, the Graduate Mentor will work with the student to start approaching faculty members regarding their interests and participation in research labs and independent study research units in their respective departments.
Stage 4: Developing Research questions
Depending on students’ role in the research project, the Graduate Mentor will guide the student in developing their own research question(s) based on already existing data. Students will be informed about senior theses opportunities as well as conference proposal opportunities.
Stage 5: Exploring Graduate School
Graduate Mentor will guide student in researching graduate programs, developing a strong CV and becoming a competitive candidate.
Because this is a self-pace program, discipline and student follow-up will be essential and a key ingredient to be successful in the program. Anticipate a 10hr/week commitment that includes outside reading and research.