Schar School undergraduates are encouraged to pursue their own research ideas by enrolling in the Undergraduate Research Assistant Program, known as URAP. The program is supported by the Undergraduate Research Community (URC), a one-credit course that provides George Mason University students with valuable access to experts and resources focused on all aspects of research and careers.
During the semester, students who volunteer for URAP work closely with Schar School professors who teach them how to conduct research, how to use sophisticated research tools, and how to present their conclusions in an oversized, single-sheet poster detailing their findings.
Not only do the students perform “research of consequence” that resonates beyond the campus, but they acquire valuable, highly marketable skills that prepare them for future careers.
Once a year, URAP and URC participants get to put the posters on easels during the annual Research Fair and explain to visitors the findings of their projects. This year’s event at Mason’s Fairfax Campus featured 15 posters, representing work by more than 40 Schar School undergraduates working with 15 faculty mentors and advisors.
