Independent Research
These courses (BIOL 401-404) are intended to allow any biology major to pursue an advanced laboratory research project under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Independent Research may be taken for up to four semesters by junior or senior students. These courses share the intellectual characteristics of the Thesis courses, but do not require any particular grade point average, production or oral defense of a thesis, or approval by the Faculty Committee on Honors and Academic Awards. In all other respects, faculty expectations of the Independent Research student are identical with those for honors candidates. In their sophomore or junior year, students interested in taking an Independent Research course should discuss their research interests with the faculty member whose research program most interests them. The adviser and student identify the problem to be investigated, develop a plan of research, and carry it to completion.
Many students who participate in the honors program begin their research projects in their junior year by taking a semester of Independent Research to define their research projects, learn the necessary techniques and to obtain preliminary data.
Other Opportunities
Other undergraduate research opportunities include:
- EXCEL Scholars, in which students receive a stipend for assisting a professor in research
- LEARN (Lafayette Alumni Research Network), in which alumni and parents give students summer research experience in neuroscience
- Science Horizons, a program that includes mentoring and research opportunities for several first-year students each year
Learn much more about student research at Lafayette by reading our Handbook for Research Students. In addition, find here how Lafayette supports student research.