I’m not a science major
“Can I do research regardless of my major?”
This is a common question! There are a lot of opportunities for science students–but there are also many for artists, musicians, and social scientists. What counts as scholarship varies widely for different fields. In music, theater, and film, creative works, rather than research data, may be the scholarly product.
UConn is a research institution–that means faculty are expected to pursue research interests. If you pursue undergraduate research in the humanities, you may be helping a faculty member work on a book s/he is writing, or collect resources for the planning stage of the next big project. You might also work on your own project, with faculty guidance.
The opportunity to feel part of a scholarly community, the chance to take real ownership of a project or performance, and the chance to present the results of your work to others–these offer the same rewards, whatever your major is.
Here are some profiles of undergraduate researchers who aren’t working with test tubes!
The Social Science, Humanities and Arts Research Experience (SHARE) program is especially for non-science majors. You might find looking at the project titles and departments of past award winners useful:
Lastly, you might want to look over the digital archive of Honors Theses. Search for your major for examples of what research looks like in your discipline.
