Why Undergraduate Research Should be on Your List of Reasons to Attend Meredith

Meredith College has a well-established Undergraduate Research Program to help strong students like you advance academically and professionally. Our college-wide program was established almost 20 years ago, and over time, we have built a healthy culture of research in all academic areas.

There are many reasons over half of our students engage in a serious research project during their time at Meredith. The benefits of participating in undergraduate research are endless – but here are just a few:

We provide you with opportunities to present your research.

Students who conduct undergraduate research develop skills in oral presentation, especially when they get the opportunity to participate in research conferences. At Meredith, we have our own research symposium, called Celebrating Student Achievement Day (CSA Day).

CSA Day is a day-long annual celebration of student achievement that includes research presentations, posters, performances, creative projects, awards, exhibits, and more. This year, the conference will take place on April 7th as a hybrid conference. This means all presentations will be made available after the in-person event through the Celebrating Student Achievement YouTube Channel.

We provide opportunities to apply for financial assistance to help fund your research.

At Meredith, we’ve provided students with thousands of dollars in grants over the years to support both their research on campus and student travel for presenting their research all over the U.S. We also award funds for summer research.

Learn more about research and travel grants.

Students who participate in our undergraduate research program have an advantage when applying for jobs or graduate school.

Many of our students find that undergraduate research — and the support of our amazing faculty — gave them a distinct advantage in applications to graduate school and their initial career placements. 

Hear more from students who participated in undergraduate research.

Our program enriches your academic experience and will help you increase your depth of knowledge in your field.

For example, Bailey Birtchet, ’21, recipient of the Fulbright award, says conducting undergraduate research has opened her eyes to the potential of graphic design and how it can go beyond just the arts and can be used in academic research and community-based initiatives as well. “My research taught me valuable lessons about our community and how design can be utilized as a communicative tool,” said Britchet.

Conducting research allows you to partner with our amazing faculty, giving you the opportunity to develop invaluable relationships with experts in your field.

It was a faculty member who encouraged Britchet to apply for undergraduate research in the first place. “As the spring semester of my freshman year was coming to an end, Steven Benko encouraged me to apply,” she said. “I am truly grateful to him for seeing potential in me and providing me with the push I needed to advance towards my academic and career goals.”

Undergraduate research is one of the many reasons our students succeed in life beyond Meredith. To learn more about the program, visit meredith.edu/undergraduate-research-program.

Editor’s Note: This blog post was originally published in April 2021 by former Director of General Education, Paul Winterhoff. It has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness since then.