Undergraduate Research

MC professor and student in an office

Part of the Maryville Difference

The Senior Study is a key element of the Maryville College experience where students stretch their minds. This Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression Program is a distinctive part of every student’s studies.

Every degree candidate completes a Senior Study in the major field, under the personal guidance of a faculty mentor. The Senior Study facilitates the scholarship of discovery within the major field and integrates those methods with the educational goals fostered through the Maryville Curriculum.

The Senior Study requirement allows the student to exercise bold initiative and design, plan and complete a substantial piece of work, while gaining the confidence and pride that comes from accomplishment.

We know that the capstone Senior Study/Undergraduate Research and Maryville’s academic rigor in general take students beyond what many think they are capable of achieving, allowing them to take their own ideas and passions and see where they lead. Moreover, students explore questions like “why” and “what if?” For some, the completion of their Senior Study answers the questions of vocation.

View inspiring examples of recent Senior Studies, as well as some exemplary studies selected for inclusion in the permanent collection of the College’s library.