Research as a Transferable Skill

This course conveys the benefits of exposing undergraduates to research projects in an effort to jump-start their careers, and identifies ways to provide them with transferable skills that will enable them to be employed outside of academia. Faculty will learn different ways to scaffold undergraduate research into the courses in their departments, and transparently make students aware of the transferable skills they are learning through their research.

This course explains the benefits of engaging in undergraduate research, and identifies different models of mentorship and collaboration between students and faculty that reflect the norms of their discipline. It draws important connections between the “lab-centric” model of undergraduate research and how this approach can be applied and modified for a range of disciplines including the humanities.

This course is intended to help faculty, administrators, and other stakeholders measure and demonstrate the impact that a comprehensive undergraduate research program has had, or could have, at their institutions; there is an emphasis on the power of good storytelling that serves to convince others of the value of supporting UR programs. It also helps faculty to develop strategies of reaching out and encouraging students who would not usually be involved in undergraduate research.