Guided by passion and curiosity, Stonehill students reach beyond the boundaries of traditional classroom learning to engage in significant undergraduate research with expert faculty.
SURE Marks 25th Year of Redefining Undergraduate Research
From discovering a new species of bacteria to uncovering the motivations of an enigmatic Russian poet, undergraduate research at Stonehill is broad and varied. You will even find students working closely with faculty on graduate-level research as early as the summer after their first year. Our programs are also distinctive for the range of available opportunities, within and across disciplines, to complete in-depth inquiry in the social sciences, natural sciences and the humanities.
As a primarily undergraduate institution, Stonehill provides an environment where faculty can focus on the needs and interests of each student. These close-knit relationships provide the perfect foundation for student-centered undergraduate research opportunities. As leaders in their field, Stonehill professors can meet students at whatever point they are and help to foster their passions with meaningful feedback. Under this close guidance and direction, our students are well prepared for wherever their postgraduate pursuits take them.
Although Stonehill’s Cornerstone Program covers a breadth of topics, a student may develop a passion for a subject not available in the current course offerings. Our flexible curriculum allows students to collaborate with trusted faculty members to develop a Directed Study for academic credit. Typically grounded in a student’s area of concentration or in a field for which a student has completed related coursework, Directed Study is a chance to complete an in-depth investigation closely guided by a faculty member who shares similar interests.
Student researchers investigate the international popularity of South Korean pop culture in the context of racial solidarity.
Like Directed Study, Independent Research is an opportunity for students to expand on Stonehill’s curriculum. A student who wants to do his or her own self-directed research, with helpful guidance from a faculty member when needed, generally pursues an Independent Research project. Student-led and –designed, these projects earn academic credit, can last a semester or more, and often help students to define their post-graduate interests and future goals.
For nearly 20 years, the Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) has given Stonehill students an outstanding opportunity to be part of a community of scholars. Those accepted into the program as SURE Scholars receive a stipend for an eight- or ten-week full-time summer session and complete intensive research projects in the liberal arts, business, education and the sciences alongside knowledgeable faculty mentors.
Through in-depth study, SURE projects help students define and solidify career choices and provide a competitive advantage when applying to graduate school. Many participants also go on to co-publish results in professional journals or present research conclusions at regional and national conferences.
A SURE project involving AI and edge computing offers undergraduate students a competitive advantage in a fast-growing field.
Student, professor probe issues of inequality as Palestinians navigate challenges in a rapidly changing environment.
Students also take advantage of regional resources such as the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Harvard Libraries, MIT Media Lab, Hemingway Theatre, the VA Boston Healthcare System in Brockton, and various community groups and organizations in and around Greater Boston.
Stonehill students participate in highly competitive and prestigious summer research programs working in university and industry labs across the country and around the world. Students collaborate one-on-one with seasoned practitioners, learning what it’s like to be part of a research team and gaining hands-on experience for the future.
Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience gives Christopher Dennehy ’23 the chance to work on a potentially groundbreaking treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
Undergraduate research program advances chemistry major’s desire to help others and gain professional lab experience
Students should choose the application option that best suits their interest and complete their applications by the appropriate deadline. Please know that information and materials submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admission cannot be returned to students.
| Application Plan | Application Deadline | Decision Notification | Binding? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Action | November 1 | Early January | No |
| Early Decision* | December 1 | Late December | Yes* |
| Early Action II | January 1 | Late February | No |
| Early Decision II* | February 1 | Mid-February | Yes* |
| Regular Decision | February 15 | Mid-March | No |
*Note: As stated in the Common Application's Early Decision Agreement, if you choose to apply to Stonehill as an Early Decision or Early Decision II applicant and you are admitted, you must enroll at the College.
The Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program is an opportunity for students who have completed their first year at Stonehill to perform significant, publishable full-time research under the guidance of and in collaboration with an experienced faculty researcher.
