Student Research Opportunities

At Concordia, students have the opportunity to participate in groundbreaking research alongside distinguished faculty who are recognized leaders in their fields. Some research opportunities are built into the curriculum, while other students engage in undergraduate research during the summer or as independent learning experiences.

Concordia students have the opportunity to apply for small grants to support research experiences during the academic year through the Undergraduate Research Grant Program and the Student Scholar program. These programs help to defray the costs of undertaking a research project and provide financial support for students who engage in undergraduate research.

During the summer, there are a number of opportunities for students to receive funding to engage in undergraduate research including our Centennial Scholars Research program, a program dedicated to promoting “co-inquiry” between faculty and students. Similar programs funded by the Student Government Association, external grants, and gifts to the college support students to devote their summer to pursuing independent scholarly research or a creative/artistic endeavor under the close supervision of an academic mentor.

Students are encouraged to disseminate their research findings to the academic community and funding is available throughout the year to assist students with the cost of conference participation. Each year a number of students receive funding to travel and present their scholarly work at disciplinary meetings, at the National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) and at Minnesota Private College’s Scholars at the Capitol.

Concordia also encourages students to share their scholarly work with the campus community through the Celebration of Student Scholarship. The Celebration of Student Scholarship, which takes place each April, is an opportunity for students who have been involved in original, scholarly projects to present their work at a formal, campuswide academic event, and for other students to learn about the scope of research, scholarship and creative experiences they can become involved in while at Concordia.

Department Assistantships: Student assistantships are also available in several academic departments. These are positions with special educational and personal qualifications involving close cooperation with supervising faculty members. Application is made in writing and in person to the chair of the department before April 1 for assistantships for the following college year. Ordinarily, the candidate has a year of residence at Concordia College before becoming eligible for an assistantship.