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Messiah University
Messiah University

Are you interested in exploring areas and issues that inspire you to make a difference?

At Messiah University, you don’t have to wait until graduate school to get involved with hands-on research projects. Our undergraduate students have opportunity to participate in meaningful research across all of our 80+ majors.

Faculty-student collaboration

Meaningful faculty-student relationships are an important part of the Messiah educational experience. Your professors strive to get to know you, your strengths and your aspirations.

 

Faculty mentorship

Faculty mentorship is an important part of the Messiah experience. Your Messiah professors strive to really get to know you, your strengths and professional aspirations. That’s why our faculty―who are accomplished researchers in their own right―regularly invite students to join with them in research and scholarship, including co-authoring papers and co-presenting at professional conferences. You may even travel abroad as part of a faculty-student team to research special projects and challenges in international communities.

Student-faculty ratio

Our low student-to-faculty ratio makes Messiah an ideal place for you to collaborate on research projects with faculty and classmates. You’ll also benefit from the research connections and partnerships our faculty have with regional, national and global organizations.

Important answers to important questions

At Messiah, we’ll help you apply what you’re learning so you can develop practical answers to important questions. Whether you’re passionate about science, engineering, health, business, education, social sciences, the humanities or the arts, you can contribute significant research in your area of study and make an impact on your chosen field—before you graduate.

Improving the human condition

Messiah students promote the common good through research that serves others and improves the human condition.

Designing a prosthetic hand for a 5-year old girl who wants to ride a bike. Protecting genetic privacy in the age of DNA databases. Reducing food waste on university campuses. Digitally mapping the ethnic history of the capital city of Pennsylvania. Finding ways to remove arsenic from drinking water. These are just some of Messiah students’ research projects that are making the world a better place.

We support you—from proposal to presentation

Depending on your major, you may be able to begin a research project as early as your first year. You’ll have opportunities to work as part of a research team or one-on-one with a faculty mentor. We’ll help you identify, apply for and coordinate internal and external sources of research funding. Your professors can also help connect you with research-related internships, cross-cultural courses, service projects and summer research opportunities.

Share the excitement, inspiration and relevance of your work and ideas

Ultimately, we want you to be able to share the excitement, inspiration and relevance of your work and ideas. All of Messiah’s academic departments provide annual symposiums where you can publicly present your research. Or if you’re a student in the arts, we provide a variety of venues where you can showcase your original works and performances. You may even be one of the many Messiah students who co-publish research with faculty or present your research at a national conference or symposium.

Be prepared for graduate school and in demand by employers

Messiah’s strong emphasis on professional research skills, methodology, publication and presentation makes you particularly well prepared for graduate school and in demand by employers.

Changing the world one research project at a time:

View, listen and read the stories below as Messiah students and faculty members share the incredible learning, experiences and outcomes of their own research projects.