Senior level research is intended to be original, integrative, collaborative, and publishable. We expect research projects to be based upon underclass training, such that methodologies are applied and not just learned during the senior year activity. Before enrolling in an SYE course, it is expected that ALL students will have received research skills training and developed a research proposal prior to the beginning of the senior fall semester. Some students may wish to begin their SYE research during the summer before their senior year, assuming they have attained an appropriate level of training in a mentors research program and completed their proposal. Starting an SYE during the summer may allow students wishing to study abroad during the fall of their senior year time to complete their SYE.

SYE Courses

Students interested in an SYE enroll in either:

Bio. 489/490 (F/S, 0.5 or 1 unit), SYE - Experimental Research or
Bio. 468/469 (F/S, 0.5 or 1 unit), SYE - Tutorial Research

Senior students may do one (1) semester of research to satisfy the SYE research component. That research should be for a full unit and be rigorous enough to earn the full unit.

Students may also do a full year of SYE research during two academic semesters, earning a totoal of 1, 1.5, or 2 units. However, only 1 unit of research counts toward the minimum biology major requirements (see biology major requirements).

It is expected that all research students will present the results of their research projects at the Festival of Science as either a talk or poster.

With the implementation of our Biology SYE plan, and pending the addition of adequate human and financial resources, we expect that eventually all majors will do some form of significant research. Thus, the Biology faculty have modified the Honors guidelines such that the Honors graduation designation truly signifies an elevated level of academic accomplishment, and not just a 3.5 GPA.

Research Skills Training

Training may be accomplished in a variety of ways:

Students may enroll in a Research Methods Training courses (Bio. 381, 382 - F/S) which will typically be related to a faculty mentor's specific research program.

Students may take research methods courses in particular sub-disciplines (e.g., biochemistry, environmental science, microscopy, etc.).

Students may volunteer in a faculty mentors lab during the academic year.

Students may do summer research internships in a mentor's research program (e.g., SLU fellows).

Students may receive adequate training in our traditional lab courses.

Students may receive training through personal tutelage by a faculty mentor.

Working in a faculty mentor's laboratory during the summer of the sophomore year allows students wishing to study abroad during their junior year the flexibility in fulfilling this training requirement.

In all cases as appropriate, senior research students shall act as mentors to help train underclass students. This will help prepare senior students for the eventual mentorship that is common and vital to post-baccalaureate professional science learning, thus, they will not be paid for this mentorship role.

SYE Proposal

Students need to collaborate with faculty mentors to develop a senior research proposal that must be finalized by the end of the first week of the senior semester that the research is begun. Students who are not in residence (e.g., studying abroad) during the spring semester of their junior year may be given some flexibility in this deadline.

The proposal should document:

1. a mastery of the training necessary to accomplish the research
2. the hypothesis or question
3. the research plan based upon a review of current literature and include a description of the data to be collected
4. the planned analysis of the data
5. a brief description of the expected outcome(s)
6. the significance of the research
7. a budget for the work proposed

If the research involves the use of animals or human subjects, protocols must be approved by the IACUC and IRB (respectively) prior to the use of the subjects. Students should confer with their faculty mentor as to the scheduling of protocol submission to these committees.

Return to top of page

Return to Faculty/Student Page or Academic and Career Planning Page