Research Opportunities

The Honors Program offers unparalleled opportunities to conduct original research, even beginning as early as the summer before you matriculate at Clarkson in what we call our "Pre-Frosh" Summer Research Program.  Imagine applying to graduate school or your first job with four summers of cutting-edge research experience and an original thesis on your resumé!

"Pre-Frosh" Summer Research is a five-week program that runs from early July to early August.  It is open to all accepted students and the Honors Program pays for room and board.  You will be matched with a faculty mentor who will supervise your project and help you develop research skills appropriate to your chosen field.  You will meet weekly with other Honors students conducting summer research, learning about their work and developing professional skills.  Summer research will culminate in a presentation at the Summer Undergraduate Research (SURE) Conference at Clarkson University.   At the same time, you will be part of an intense community of scholars on campus, with unique access to faculty and facilities, before everyone else arrives in the Fall and you will be able to enjoy special field trips and outdoor activities organized by the Honors Program.  This is a really great way to jump start your academic career and to get to know the campus and community even before school begins!

"Regular" Summer Research is a ten-week program that runs from late May to early August. It is open to all students of good standing in the Honors Program and we pay for room and board.  Students may also compete for a stipend up to $1000 and research funds up to $500.  Students must submit a proposal endorsed by a faculty mentor willing to supervise their research.   Summer research will culminate in a presentation at the Summer Undergraduate Research (SURE) Conference at Clarkson University.   Participants will be part of an intense community of scholars on campus, with unique access to faculty and facilities, and will be able to enjoy special field trips and outdoor activities organized by the Honors Program.  Exiting seniors typically cite summer research as the best experience they had while they were at Clarkson University!

An Honors Thesis is required of all students who graduate with the Honors degree.  The Honors Thesis is a written manuscript that presents a piece of original scholarship conducted under the guidance of a faculty mentor. It is typically based on research or creative work within the student’s major field of inquiry, but it is also possible to engage in other fields as long as the work meets appropriate level of scholarly achievement in that field. Most of our students do research with some kind of “experimental design,” which traditionally advances a hypothesis to be proved or disproved, but students may pursue a literary undertaking (e.g. a novel or screenplay, or a series of poems, plays, or short stories), a portfolio of creative works (e.g. paintings, photographs, or digital media), an installation (e.g. sculpture or museum exhibit), a design project or a business plan.   

Many Honors students also do research during the semester on projects and/or in laboratories at Clarkson University, sometimes for research credit, sometimes for pay, and sometimes simply for the value of the experience.  Some students also leverage their Clarkson experience to obtain prestigious Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at other institutions across the nation and even overseas. Finally, some of our students do research while on summer internships at NASA or the FBI, or while on internships and co-ops in industrial/corporate R&D.

You can learn more about the research and other activities of our students on our Student Achievements page.