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ISBN: 9781032701271

Expected November 2024

In the third of three chapters outlining our major findings, we address the vocational elements of undergraduate research. Engaging foundational questions about the purpose of higher education, this chapter describes two ways in which undergraduate research fulfills multiple, even seemingly divergent purposes. Undergraduate research first prepares students for graduate school and the workplace by helping them develop discipline-specific skills, durable skills in speaking and writing, and dispositions of persistence and diligence. Second, undergraduate research offers students the opportunity to invest more deeply in their passions and to discover new interests and callings. Alumni from divergent professional fields describe how they draw on their undergraduate research experiences in their adult work and lives.    

Discussion Questions

  1. What are the primary vocational factors that distinguish undergraduate research projects from other college activities? What vocational factors mark undergraduate research as a high-impact practice? 
  2. How might undergraduate research mentors better prepare undergraduate researchers to talk about their experiences in job application materials and other career-focused contexts?  
  3. Identify some points along the trajectory of an undergraduate research project at which students might engage with questions related to their passions and calling. Could this engagement occur during the initial brainstorming? During data collection or analysis? During the presentation of final findings? At other points?