Ways to get involved with research
If you’re curious about research or your future goals include academic or applied research, consider getting involved with student research opportunities early in your degree.
At MRU, students can become involved in research in the following ways:
Research Assistants
Research Assistants (RAs) are an invaluable part of the research process. RAs can help with collecting, entering and organizing ideas, preparing reports and briefs, meeting community partners, managing project emails and more. Some RA positions are paid and some are volunteer positions. Hiring for paid positions is facilitated by MRU Human Resources and these RAs are considered ‘casual staff’ of MRU and are paid through faculty funds or research grants. A job description should be available.
No course credit is attached to this opportunity but you may be credited on published research you assisted with. Commitment varies.
Directed Readings (eg. MGMT 3399)
Directed Readings are intended to provide a more flexible approach for students who want to pursue and receive credit in areas of study which are of particular interest to them. Two Directed Reading courses can be used for graduation purposes but they must be in different disciplines. A Directed Reading cannot replicate an existing course. The objectives of the Directed Reading course(s) must be filed in the Office of the Registrar and will be made available to any institution requesting them for evaluation purposes.
You won’t find these courses in the schedule of classes! You need to approach a professor with your request/idea, and if approved by the Chair, register directly with the Office of the Registrar, prior to the last day to add/drop courses. Work with your advisor to know where it can be used in your program.
Be prepared to work one on one with a professor for the term to produce the agreed-upon learning outcomes in your course outline. There is no specific class time commitment, but you will need to connect regularly with your professor. Depending on your involvement with published research, you may be credited.
Upon completion of the course, you will receive a letter grade. In most cases, this course will be used as an elective in your program, unless it is specified in the program curriculum.
Honours Program
The Honours program is different from the Dean’s or President's Honour roll. Students who complete an honours degree will follow a more rigorous curriculum than the regular program, usually requiring further statistics and/or research methods courses, possible senior seminar courses, and an independent study project or ‘mini-thesis’.
Students must apply to the honours program in their appropriate year of program and complete specific courses. See the honours curriculum for your program outlined in the MRU Academic Calendar, your program’s web page, or contact your advisor for more information.
The student is responsible to secure a supervisor (Professor). You may need to complete a Human Research Ethics Board Application before beginning your research project if it involves collecting data from human participants. Students may choose to submit their research for possible publication and are often required to present their research at an on-campus event.
If interested, explore if there is an Honours program offered within your credential, admissions requirements and deadlines, and required courses. This should be outlined in the MRU calendar, but you should also consult your Advisor, and there may be a blackboard site/web page with additional information.
Often students present their research in an open forum or during student research days in spring. Keep an eye out for these opportunities to learn what other students are researching. Ask for the name of a student who completed the honours program and ask them what it’s like.
You can review past student’s work in the MRU institutional repository accessible from the library.
Advanced level coursework
Specific programs offer advanced level (4000/5000 level) courses that include opportunities to dive deeper into topics or that require research. In addition to your program’s required capstone courses, explore other optional courses offering research-related experiences. Review your program’s course offerings in the MRU Academic Calendar for courses such as Advanced Topics or Independent Projects courses (for example, PHIL 4730, BIOL 5201). As with Directed Readings, these courses are not always listed in the schedule of classes and you may need to approach your professor directly.
Where to start?
- Think about what you are interested in. This can be a topic from your favourite course so far or an extra-curricular area of interest.
- ‘Hold’ electives in your program to allow you room for possible honours/Directed Readings courses.
- Explore what your favourite professors are interested in and/or currently researching. Some professors discuss this in class. You can also research this yourself in the library – type their name in the Author field and see what they have published recently. Many professors also have their bio/CV on mru.ca or a link to their research web page on the course outline. Professors are in the news, too – see MRU media, external media.
- Be open to different opportunities to help with research (outlined above). Consult your Academic Advisor to explore and plan for room in your program for any of these options.
- Approach your professor a) casually (in a conversation) or b) formally (via email). Some professors rely on a student to be persistent (if you do not get a response at all) or rely on good timing, others will be clear with an immediate response and next steps.
Your professor will want to know the following:
- Your availability (weekly time commitment available and time to degree completion)
- Your academic preparedness (how far along you are in your degree, GPA)
- Have you taken a course with this professor or how do you know them?
- Why are you interested in a certain topic?
- Why do you want to help with research?
- If you are interested in a specific opportunity (e.g., Directed Readings /paid Research Assistant)
FAQs
There are many reasons a professor might not say yes. For example:
- capacity (teaching load, already supervising many students, limited research funds),
- different research interests,
- needs a more advanced student,
- needs a student who is planning to stay at MRU longer,
- needs a student with particular skills/knowledge set.
There are other professors at MRU who would be interested in a student researcher. Keep trying.
If you are very early in your degree, learning more about the types of research taking place on campus might help to prepare you for future opportunities:
- Attend one of the many lectures/colloquia offered across campus by professors sharing their research. Students are free to attend and this can give you a better idea of what research can look like.
- Improve your writing by meeting with a Writing and Learning Strategist in Student Learning Services or attending one of their workshops
- Meet with the Librarian assigned to your program to learn more advanced research skills.
- Volunteer as a research participant - there are many research projects being completed on campus that need volunteers. Keep an eye out for asks on posters and in your classes and say, “Yes!”
- Show your preparedness and curiosity by participating in class and asking good questions. If the question is not directly relevant to the class, seek out your professor in their office hours for discussion.
- Meet professors outside of class in hosted networking sessions, lectures, volunteering for campus events, campus committees, and field schools.
- Attend Research and Scholarship days in spring to see examples of student research.
- Opportunity to go deep into a topic of interest
- Learn how to research by doing research
- Additional training in research offered by the Library
- Some students submit completed research for publication
- Many students participate in and/or present at conferences, including travel outside Calgary (grant available to help with costs)
- Research can be included on your CV and give you a subject to discuss in interviews
- experience/practice in research that can be applied to other work or study opportunities
- Earn a reference for graduate school/professional programs/designations
- Increases eligibility for awards/scholarships, and some awards are specifically for undergraduate research*
- Networking opportunities with other like-minded students, faculty members studying similar topics
- Gives you expert knowledge in a topic for the dinner table or first date situation
* Undergraduate Research Dissemination Fund (URDF) award. Aims to enhance engagement between undergraduate students and their research through travel and other ventures.
* Dean's Award for Research
Some professors are looking for a commitment of one term, from an A student taking advanced-level course work. Some are looking for long term commitment from eager first-year students who have earned good grades and manage their time well. And everything else in between.
Helpful attributes for student research include the following: Curiosity, reliability, good communicator, attention to detail, and ability to follow lab protocols.
Yes, MRU provides several opportunities for students to present their work including the following: Research and Scholarship Days Annual Showcase (March/April), faculty-specific honours presentations (eg, Humanly (Info design)), and the Library’s student research repository.
Additionally, students may present at conferences along with the faculty member.