The McCoy College vision is "STEM leadership, Diverse Scholarship". Diverse scholarship refers the knowledge that is gained by the wide range of disciplines, methods, and people that help to drive our scholarship. No other place is this more evident than in our research programs.

Undergraduate Research at MSU

MSU defines undergraduate research as an inquiry or investigation conducted by one or more undergraduate students, with faculty guidance, which attempts to make an intellectual, creative, or applied contribution to one or more disciplines.  Faculty mentors help students design the project and work with students as project data are collected, analyzed and presented. 

Formal research programs

MSU has two formal undergraduate research programs in which MCOSME students can participate. Formal research programs require an application and matching process, a minimum GPA, as well as some enrollment and accountability requirements. Students receive a scholarship for participating and some funding for materials.

Since 2005 the UGROW program has allowed students to spend Summer I semester working on a research project. The program culminates in opportunities to present at the UGROW Symposium and the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Forum. 

EURECA was developed in 2013 as an opportunity for students to engage in a longer research project during the regular semesters (fall and spring). Students must enroll in MWSU 2003/4000 Creative Inquiry: Interdisciplinary Thinking and present their results at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Forum. 

Other research programs

The McCoy College also has opportunities to work with faculty through independent study or course-based undergraduate research. These other programs are highly indvidualized based on the student and the faculty member, and often start with a discussion with the faculty member about their research interests and what projects might be available. More information for faculty research and links to departments can be found below under Faculty Research.

Undergraduate Research Outside of MSU

Throughout the U.S. there are many opportunities for undergraduates to conduct summer research. These programs require an application process and can be highly competitive, but are ideal for students who might be considering graduate or professional school in the future. Many of these research programs are sponsored by federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation or the National Institutes of Health. The links below lead to a searchable database for some of these programs.

There are several sites that list a wide variety of summer research programs around the country:

Graduate Research at MSU

In the McCoy College there are graduate programs in Biology, Computer Science and Geoscience. Thesis research is required for the Biology and Geosciences programs, and research-based projects are required for Computer Science courses. Programs are linked below.

 To apply for one of these programs visit the Dr. Billie Doris McAda Graduate School.

Faculty Research

The McCoy College faculty have a wide range of research interests and projects. Links to each program's faculty research are listed below.