Research Programs

"...being a Gillette Fellow this summer has been truly valuable as it allowed me to increase the depth of my research as well as the amount of data to be examined."

  

-- Laura Jensen

2009 Genevieve Gillette Fellow

French

Professorial Assistantships

The Honors College targets the top 1% of students in the nation to be involved in the Professorial Assistantship program, Michigan State University’s most selective undergraduate research program, during the students’ first two years at MSU. PAs work with members of the teaching faculty on tasks directly related to scholarly research and innovative teaching. See "The Professorial Assistantship (PA) Program" for a more detailed description of the program, eligibility requirements and scholarships.

 

Honors Research Seminars

These Honors classes are designed particularly for first- and second-year Honors College students and provide an opportunity to engage in research in close association with MSU faculty members. (The seminars are listed as UGS 200H in the Schedule of Courses and Honors College Bulletin of Course Descriptions.) Among the benefits of these seminars:

• Seminars offer opportunities for hands-on work, often on cutting-edge research projects, under the supervision of MSU faculty members. Students who gain this experience are well situated to find other research opportunities in future.
• Seminars are small and offer the opportunity to work with interesting students from a wide variety of majors.
• Every seminar offers the opportunity to present at the University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum in April. Many seminars also offer presentation and publication opportunities in other forums, both inside and outside the university.
• Seminars count as one Honors experience and, with the approval of an Honors College Academic Specialist/Adviser, may count toward General Education requirements for Honors College members.

 

Research, Independent Study, or Thesis Courses

Students who are highly interested in an area of study may take advantage of the opportunity to do research, an independent project, or thesis with a professor. An Honors thesis is required for HC members in several majors but is optional for all other majors. Students are often required to obtain special permission before enrolling in a research, independent study, or thesis course and should check with the department offering the course about enrollment procedures.

Students engaging in research may apply for modest support through the Honors College Research Fund. Those planning a senior thesis or similar project may apply for a Genevieve Gillette Fellowship or a Hymen and Miriam Stein Scholarship.