School of Mathematics and Sciences

William J. Hagan Research Honors Concentration in Mathematics and Sciences

In order to promote undergraduate research within The College of Saint Rose, the School of Mathematics & Sciences has created a research honors concentration program.

The School recognizes that what constitutes research may vary considerably across disciplines. The descriptions listed below represent the accepted definitions of research within the School of Mathematics & Sciences for individual departments currently offering research honors:

1. Empirical examination of one or more hypotheses using research protocols and experimental designs appropriate to the student’s discipline (Criminal Justice, Behavior and Law, Physical and Biological Sciences, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology)
2. Robust exploratory examination of an advanced Computer Science topic (e.g. programming, design, analysis, simulation) following a traditional research trajectory and/or requiring implementation of a large-scale programming project. (Computer Science)
3. In-depth critical or theoretical examination of the literature on an unresolved issue in the field. (Criminal Justice, Behavior and Law, Social Work, Sociology)
4. Qualitative examination using research protocols and designs appropriate to the student’s discipline. (Criminal Justice, Behavior and Law, Social Work, Sociology)
5. Qualitative or deconstructive research that challenges a discipline’s orthodoxy or grand narrative. (Social Work)

Procedural Details:

1. Students interested in pursuing research honors and who have achieved at least a B average at Saint Rose, must file an “Intent to Pursue Research Honors Concentration” document with the Dean of Mathematics & Sciences, accompanied by a letter of support from a faculty member within the major, and sign up for Research Honors Concentration Candidacy in Mathematics & Sciences for their major at the academic advising office. This concentration will appear on their academic progress report and academic transcript as “Research Honors in Mathematics and Sciences – Department of __________.”

2. Students must select a faculty member to be a primary research advisor within their major who agrees to oversee the student’s progress toward Research Honors.

3. Students must complete the research requirements for honors established for their major as indicated in the course catalog, and maintain an average of B or higher in these traditionally graded courses.

4. At the time of graduation, students must have a minimum overall average of B   and must meet or exceed the minimum GPA for research honors within their major as established by their department.

5. At the conclusion of the research honors requirements, students will submit a thesis in a format appropriate for a scholarly journal within their discipline. Copies of the final thesis will be kept on file in the School of Mathematics and Sciences and in the Neil Hellman Library

Department-Specific Requirements

The following programs are currently participating in the School of Mathematics and Sciences Research Honors Concentration program:

Computer Science

In addition to the general requirements for research honors described above, students pursuing research honors in the Department of Computer Science must meet the following criteria:

1. Entry to the research honors concentration is limited to students who have achieved at least a 3.5 GPA in the major and a 3.0 GPA overall after completion of their junior year.
2. Entry into the program is granted upon submission of an acceptable project proposal. A student must submit his or her proposal to a faculty member of the Computer Science Department; the proposal must describe the intended project and be approved by the faculty member (who becomes the faculty advisor for the project). The proposed project must be a robust exploratory study of a topic not covered in any major course or a deeper examination of a topic covered in a student’s coursework. Programming, design, analysis, or simulation are possible areas of focus.
3. In addition to the faculty advisor, at least two other faculty members within the department serve on the student’s committee.
4. Once approved, the student embarks on the project, registering for a 3-credit independent study in the first semester of his or her senior year. Note that such projects may span a student’s entire senior year.
5. Students must earn at least a B in the independent study.
6. Students must present their research project to their committee; the committee determines if the project work is acceptable or requires further investigation or revision.
7. Students must publish their work in a peer-reviewed journal or conference proceedings. Examples include the Journal of Undergraduate Research here at The College of Saint Rose, poster sessions at a computing conference, etc.

Criminal Justice, Behavior and Law

In addition to the general requirements for the research honors concentration described above, students pursuing research honors in Criminal Justice, Behavior and Law must have: a grade of B or higher in CJS 230, CJS 111/SOC 231, SOC 288, SOC 351; a 3.5 GPA in the major and 3.2 overall GPA for entry into the program. Once admitted, the student must maintain a 3.2 overall GPA.

Physical & Biological Sciences

In addition to the general requirements for the research honors concentration described above, students pursuing research honors in the Department of Physical & Biological Sciences must also meet the criteria described below:

1. Research may be conducted by completing at least 6 credits of undergraduate research (BIO 400, CHM 400, ESC 490, PHY 400) or at least 6 credits of internship (BIO 494, CHM 494, ESC 494) or at least 8 weeks of Department-approved, full-time, supervised summer research. Credit-bearing courses listed here for honors research cannot be taken pass/fail.
2. As a component of the “Intent to Pursue Research Honors” document for the Department of Physical and Biological Sciences, the student must write an approved research proposal and obtain a letter of support from the supervising faculty.
3. In addition to achieving at least a B average at the College, students intending to pursue research honors in the Department of Physical and Biological Sciences must have earned at least a B average in their major requirements at the time of completing the “Intent” document.
4. The research honors option is not available to freshmen in the Department of Physical and Biological Sciences.

Psychology

In addition to the general requirements for the research honors concentration described above, students pursuing research honors in the Department of Psychology must also meet the criteria described below.

1. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.2 in Psychology at the time of graduation.
2. Students must earn a grade of B or higher in each of the required courses for research honors listed below:

   PSY 295 Research Methods and Statistics I

   PSY 299 Research Methods and Statistics II

   PSY 493 Independent Research I

   PSY 494 Independent Research II

   PSY 495 Directed Research (minimum of 3 credits)

   PSY 498 Senior Seminar in Psychology: Research

Students interested in pursuing research honors should consult the Research Honors and Independent Research Guide which may be found online at the Department of Psychology web site. This manual contains a detailed list of the requirements for research honors as well as important documents and sample timelines for PSY 493 and PSY 494.

Social Work

In addition to the general requirements for the research honors concentration described above, students pursuing research honors in the Department of Social Work must meet the criteria stated below: 

1. Completion of SWK 451 with a grade of B or higher 
2. Completion of six credit hours of advanced research
3. Submission of a manuscript to a peer reviewed journal

Sociology

In addition to the general requirements for the research honors concentration described above, students pursuing research honors in the Department of Sociology must have a grade of B or higher in both SOC 288 and SOC 351 for entry into the program.