Undergraduate Research

Welcome to undergraduate research at Valpo!

Not so long ago, only graduate students got the chance to do real research in their field. But all that has changed. Valparaiso University now provides undergraduates with the opportunity to explore questions that excite them, whether that means delving into the thought of Walt Whitman, observing a star in a distant galaxy, or putting on waders to explore plant life in the streams of the nearby Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Valpo also provides opportunities for students to share their excitement about their research with others through colloquia, the annual Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE), and travel to student conferences all over the country.

So why should you get involved with research? It will give you the opportunity to:

• Apply your classroom learning to real-life situations.
• Not just study biology, but be a biologist, an astronomer, or a historian.
• Work in your chosen field now to see if that is what you really want to do with your life.
• Contribute new information, propose new questions, or be on the cutting edge of new discoveries in your field.
• Get hands-on experience that will help prepare you for your future.
• Work closely with a faculty mentor who could recommend you to graduate or professional schools.

This website is designed to help you learn about all the exciting ways you can get started on doing research at Valpo.