Transforming Student Perspectives Through Summer Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate research is a commonly accepted method for increasing student interest in graduate study. An important outcome of this process is the transformation of student perspectives, such that students view themselves as potential graduate students. The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site studied here seeks to accomplish this transformation through multidisciplinary research projects, community-building activities, and workshops, which expose students to graduate study, while increasing self-confidence and promoting exploration and risk taking. Based on direct student feedback, this paper describes the attributes of a successful program, and examines qualitative and quantitative assessments of the influence of summer residential undergraduate research experiences on the decision to pursue graduate study. Results indicate that students’ confidence in succeeding at graduate study and in conducting independent research increased significantly when provided with a well-advised research project, set in a learning based research environment, with a strong social community, and supplemented with seminars and workshops. The likelihood of a student pursuing a graduate degree increased slightly for an MS and significantly for a PhD. Students state that their REU experience was pivotal in their decision to attend graduate school.