Research & Independent Study

You have the opportunity to connect one-on-one with faculty to pursue your research interests and create new knowledge.

Until now, your education probably has involved learning and processing the work and wisdom of others. What if you could make your own discoveries and add to the bank of knowledge important for the future? You can do all that and more at OWU.

As a liberal arts college, we emphasize intellectual curiosity, creativity, initiative, and synthesis. The University provides opportunities, including traveling to remote locations, for you to explore an existing problem or process — or perhaps to develop a totally new avenue of exploration. Such research can look great on graduate school and fellowship applications.

OWU academic departments make it a priority to support student research and independent study. Advisors and course professors will work with you to find or develop projects to match your individual academic and career interests.

One exciting research option is the Summer Science Research Program. Through this competitive 10-week program, students work in paid positions, carrying out cutting-edge research alongside faculty mentors. At the conclusion, participants present their findings at a University symposium and sometimes even regional or national meetings of scientific associations.