https://www.creighton.edu/curas/
The Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (CURAS) supports and facilitates undergraduate research across all schools and colleges at Creighton University.
Director: Amanda Holman, PhD
Research Program Planner: Ethan Ankrum
Concentration in Undergraduate Research and Scholarship
The Concentration in Undergraduate Research and Scholarship is offered by the Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (CURAS) in recognition of undergraduate students who have mastered a comprehensive range of skills essential to their success as Jesuit-educated researchers. Students obtain the concentration through a combination of coursework, research presentations, proposal writing or publication, and participation in events and assessments sponsored by the Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship. In the spirit of the Jesuit tradition, reflection and ethics are also crucial components of this program.
Learning Outcomes and Objectives:
- Students will acquire research skills and knowledge specific to their field of interest
2. Students will effectively orally communicate their research/creative project findings to a broader audience
3. Students will effectively communicate their research/creative project findings and ideas in written form
4. Students will reflect on how their research fits into Creighton’s mission and addresses Jesuit values
Concentration Requirements:
Summary: The Concentration has requirements in two primary forms: academic and research dissemination. The academic requirement includes successful completion of 3 credits of independent research and 6 credits of research-related coursework. The research dissemination portion requires 1 research proposal or publication, 1 presentation at a local, regional, or national conference, and either attendance or presentation of one’s research at 3 Creighton research events. Research dissemination recognition is completed in a 1 credit capstone research course.
Independent Research: 3 credits
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACC 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-3 |
| AMS 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-3 |
| ANT 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-6 |
| ARH 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-3 |
| ART 495 | Directed Independent Projects | 1-3 |
| ART 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-3 |
| BIO 397 | Directed Independent Research (Extramural) | 0-3 |
| BIO 497 | Directed Independent Research | 0-3 |
| BUS 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-3 |
| CHM 297 | Directed Research | 0-2 |
| CHM 496 | Directed Independent Research I | 0-3 |
| CHM 497 | Directed Independent Research II | 0-2 |
| COM 498 | Directed Independent Research - Special | 0-3 |
| CRJ 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-6 |
| CSC 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-3 |
| ECO 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-3 |
| EDU 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-3 |
| ENT 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-3 |
| EVS 497 | Directed Independent Research | 0-3 |
| EXS 497 | Directed Independent Research | 0-4 |
| FIN 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-3 |
| FRN 497 | Directed Independent Research | 0-3 |
| GDE 599 | Senior Capstone | 3 |
| GER 497 | Directed Independent Research | 0-3 |
| HAP 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-6 |
| HIS 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-3 |
| HLM 495 | Independent Study in Healthy Lifestyle Management | 1-3 |
| JRM 599 | Senior Capstone: Entrepreneurial Media | 3 |
| MTH 495 | Directed Independent Study | 1-3 |
| MTH 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-3 |
| MUS 495 | Independent Research Project | 1-3 |
| NAS 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-6 |
| NES 397 | Directed Independent Research (Extramural) | 0-3 |
| NES 497 | Directed Independent Research (Intramural) | 0-3 |
| PHL 495 | Directed Independent Study | 1-4 |
| PHY 497 | Directed Independent Research | 0-3 |
| PLS 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-3 |
| PSY 497 | Directed Independent Research | 0-3 |
| SOC 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-6 |
| SPN 497 | Directed Independent Research in Spanish and Hispanic Studies | 0-3 |
| THR 495 | Directed Independent Study | 1-3 |
| THL 495 | Directed Independent Study | 1-4 |
| WGS 495 | Directed Independent Study | 1-3 |
| SWK 497 | Directed Independent Research | 1-6 |
Research Coursework: 6 credits
Student may choose courses from any of the three course areas: Research Methods and Analysis, Research Communication or Ethics, or Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). There are no area distribution requirements for coursework.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Research Methods and Analysis | ||
| AMS 308 | Theories and Methods in American Studies | 3 |
| AMS 316 | Qualitative Methods, Ethnography, and Engagement | 3 |
| AMS 470 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| AMS 570 | Making Maps that Matter: Introduction to GIS | 4 |
| ANT 491 | Applied Research: Assessment and Evaluation | 4 |
| ARH 401 | History and Methods of Art History | 3 |
| ART 411 | Advanced Ceramics I | 3 |
| ART 422 | Life Drawing IV | 3 |
| ART 432 | Painting IV | 3 |
| ART 448 | Printmaking IV | 3 |
| BIA 261 | Business Analytics | 4 |
| BIO 311 | Biostatistics | 4 |
| BIO 318 | Genetics Laboratory | 1 |
| BIO 363 | Cell Structure and Function Laboratory | 1 |
| BIO 372 | Animal Behavior Laboratory | 2 |
| BIO 419 | Molecular Genetics Laboratory | 2 |
| BIO 463 | Neurobiology Laboratory | 1 |
| BIO 481 | Terrestrial Ecology | 4 |
| BIO 501 | Bioinformatics | 4 |
| CHM 286 | Chemical and Statistical Analysis Laboratory | 2 |
| CHM 315 | Quantitative and Statistical Analysis | 4 |
| COM 300 | Communication Research Methods | 3 |
| COM 359 | Rhetoric and Public Culture | 3 |
| CRJ 312 | Research Design for the Social Sciences | 3 |
| CRJ 314 | Statistics for the Social Sciences | 4 |
| CRJ 316 | Qualitative Methods, Ethnography, and Engagement | 3 |
| CRJ 570 | Making Maps that Matter: Introduction to GIS | 4 |
| CSC 542 | Database Design and Security | 3 |
| ECO 418 | Econometrics | 3 |
| EDU 211 | Exploring Child and Adolescent Development | 3 |
| EDU 299 | Understanding Educational Assessment and Statistical Reasoning | 4 |
| ENG 330 | Sources and Methods of Writing | 3 |
| ENG 331 | Sources and Methods of Reading | 3 |
| ENG 400 | Novel Ecologies: History, Literature, and Environmental Crisis | 3 |
| ENG 424 | Adventurous Men and Wild Women: Genre, Gender and Geography in Fin-de-Siecle Literature | 3 |
| ENG 427 | Health, Justice and Literature | 3 |
| ENG 437 | Literature, Philosophy and Economics: In Search of Economic Justice | 3 |
| ENG 439 | Literacy And Technology: How Technology Shapes Cultural Literacy | 3 |
| ENG 441 | Trauma in Literature | 3 |
| ENG 446 | The Body in Early English Literature | 3 |
| ENG 483 | The Rhetoric of Emotion | 3 |
| ENG 489 | American Prisons: Punish or Reform | 3 |
| EXS 350 | Nutrition for Health and Sports Performance | 3 |
| EXS 407 | Basic Statistics and Research Design | 3 |
| EXS 489 | Laboratory Methods and Procedures | 0-4 |
| EXS 534 | Neuromechanics of Human Movement | 3 |
| EXS 535 | Applied Immunology | 3 |
| FPA 358 | Business of the Arts | 3 |
| FRN 530 | Introduction to Literary Analysis | 3 |
| GER 411 | Introduction To German Literature | 3 |
| HIS 310 | History Workshop | 3 |
| HIS 316 | Introduction to Digital Humanities | 3 |
| JRM 440 | Media Research | 3 |
| MKT 343 | Marketing Research | 3 |
| MTH 366 | Machine Learning | 3 |
| MTH 471 | Mathematical Analysis | 3 |
| MTH 481 | Modern Algebra I | 3 |
| MUS 415 | Conducting | 3 |
| NUR 200 | Statistical Reasoning | 3 |
| NUR 346 | Evidence-Based Practice I | 3 |
| NUR 348 | Care Management Concepts II | 5 |
| NUR 477 | Evidence-Based Practice II | 2 |
| PHL 321 | Epistemology | 3 |
| PHL 331 | Moral Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 332 | World Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 340 | Philosophy of Language | 3 |
| PHL 342 | Metaphysics | 3 |
| PHL 351 | Introduction To Chinese Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 358 | Social And Political Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 367 | American Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 370 | History Of Ancient Western Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 371 | History Of Hellenistic Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 372 | History of Medieval Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 373 | History Of Modern Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 374 | History Of 19th-Century Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 424 | Philosophy of Mind | 3 |
| PHY 397 | Research Methods | 2 |
| PHY 471 | Classical Mechanics | 3 |
| PLS 310 | Political Science Research Methods 2 | 0-4 |
| PSY 313 | Research Methods And Statistics I | 3 |
| PLS 331 | Public and Non-Profit Administration | 3 |
| PLS 463 | Game Theory And Social Choice | 3 |
| PLS 530 | Advanced Statistics for Political Science | 3 |
| PSY 314 | Research Methods and Statistics I - Laboratory | 1 |
| PSY 315 | Research Methods And Statistics II | 3 |
| SOC 312 | Research Design for the Social Sciences | 3 |
| SOC 313 | Power and Society: Political Sociology in Action | 3 |
| SOC 314 | Statistics for the Social Sciences | 4 |
| SOC 318 | Gender in American Society | 3 |
| SOC 570 | Making Maps that Matter: Introduction to GIS | 4 |
| SPN 405 | Spanish Phonetics | 3 |
| SPN 425 | Introduction to Literary Analysis | 3 |
| THL 350 | Archaeology of Israel and Jordan | 3 |
| THL 380 | Method and Theory in Theology | 3 |
| THL 419 | Bible, Spirituality, & American Public Life | 3 |
| THL 501 | The Pentateuch | 3 |
| THL 503 | The Prophetic Literature Of The Old Testament | 3 |
| THL 504 | The Wisdom Literature Of The Old Testament | 3 |
| THL 505 | History of Biblical Interpretation | 3 |
| THL 523 | Israelite Religions | 3 |
| THL 531 | Studies in Early Christianity | 3 |
| THL 538 | Seminar in Christian Anthropology | 3 |
| THL 553 | Reformation Theology | 3 |
| THL 565 | Catholic Social Teaching | 3 |
| THL 567 | Gender, Race and Morality | 3 |
| THL 573 | Religion and Politics | 3 |
| THL 589 | The Rwanda Genocide as a Challenge for the Church | 3 |
| THL 594 | Special Seminar in Biblical Studies | 3 |
| THL 596 | Special Seminar in Historical-Doctrinal-Liturgical Studies | 3 |
| Research Communication or Ethics | ||
| AMS 491 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| ANT 499 | Senior Capstone: Applying the Social Sciences | 3 |
| ARH 499 | Senior Thesis | 1-3 |
| ART 499 | Senior Thesis II | 1-3 |
| BUS 356 | Business Ethics | 3 |
| CHM 493 | Directed Independent Readings | 0-3 |
| CHM 499 | Chemistry Seminar | 1 |
| COM 497 | Senior Research in Communication Studies | 3 |
| CRJ 499 | Senior Capstone: Applying the Social Sciences | 3 |
| CSC 599 | Senior Capstone | 3 |
| ECO 508 | History of Political Economy | 3 |
| ECO 518 | Comparative Economic Systems | 3 |
| EDU 584 | Advanced Instructional Practices | 3 |
| EVS 354 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| EVS 459 | Environmental Communication | 3 |
| EVS 491 | Senior Seminar | 1 |
| EXS 391 | Career Preparation and Professionalism | 3 |
| FRN 411 | Advanced Spoken French | 3 |
| FRN 412 | Advanced Written French | 3 |
| GDE 426 | Data Visualization | 3 |
| GER 321 | German For Business And Economics | 3 |
| HAP 404 | Bioethics and Society | 3 |
| HAP 410 | Seminar In Health Administration | 3 |
| HAP 485 | Internship In Health Administration And Policy | 3 |
| HAP 493 | Directed Independent Readings | 1-3 |
| HIS 402 | Intersections: History of Disability | 3 |
| HIS 595 | Special Problems in History | 3 |
| HLM 499 | Capstone in Healthy Lifestyle Management | 3 |
| JRM 319 | Media Writing | 3 |
| JRM 320 | Professional Writing | 3 |
| JRM 435 | History of American Mass Media | 3 |
| MTH 400 | Current Issues in Mathematics | 1 |
| MUS 498 | Senior Recital | 1 |
| NES 464 | Neurobiology of Disease | 3 |
| NES 592 | Neuroscience Senior Seminar | 1 |
| PHL 425 | Sciences, Ethics & Society | 3 |
| PHL 457 | Biomedical Ethics: Philosophical and Theological Approaches | 3 |
| PHL 492 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| PHY 491 | Physics Seminar | 1 |
| PHY 499 | Research Capstone | 1 |
| PLS 483 | Public Affairs Internship | 1-6 |
| PLS 591 | Senior Research Seminar In Political Science | 3 |
| PLS 592 | Advanced Research Practicum | 3 |
| PSY 491 | Honors Seminar | 3 |
| SOC 499 | Senior Capstone: Applying the Social Sciences | 3 |
| SPN 401 | Advanced Spanish Composition | 3 |
| SPN 502 | Advanced Spanish Translation | 3 |
| THL 492 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| THR 499 | Senior Thesis | 1-3 |
| Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) | ||
| ART 401 | Arts and Civic Engagement: Empty Bowls | 3 |
| ART 402 | Art and Activism | 3 |
| BIO 439 | Parasitology | 4 |
| BIO 453 | Microbiology Laboratory | 1 |
| BIO 517 | Current Topics in Genetics | 3 |
| CHM 382 | Biochemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| CSC 444 | Human Computer Interaction | 3 |
| CSC 445 | Social Networks Analytics | 3 |
| CSC 550 | Introduction To Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
| CSC 590 | Special Topics | 3 |
| CUR 111 | Introduction to Undergraduate Research | 1 |
| ENG 228 | The City in Literature | 3 |
| ENG 455 | Global Bollywood | 3 |
| EVS 483 | History of Environmental Inequalities | 3 |
| EVS 488 | Global Environmental History | 3 |
| FRN 550 | La litterature francophone africaine | 3 |
| FRN 551 | Women Writers In French And Francophone Literature | 3 |
| FRN 566 | History of the Romance Languages | 3 |
| GDE 380 | Graphic Design | 3 |
| GER 568 | The Multiplicity of German Culture: Cultural Differences and Marginality | 3 |
| HIS 374 | The Politics of Heredity: Eugenics in America | 3 |
| HIS 431 | Mathematical History, Philosophy And Ethics | 3 |
| HIS 488 | Global Environmental History | 3 |
| HIS 490 | Advanced Research Methods | 3 |
| HLM 451 | Heath and Wellness Coaching | 3 |
| JRM 438 | Media Ethics and Law | 3 |
| MTH 447 | Mathematics in Medicine and the Life Sciences I | 3 |
| PHL 493 | Directed Independent Research | 0-4 |
| PHL 597 | Advanced Independent Research | 1-4 |
| PHY 353 | Introduction to Biological Physics | 3 |
| PSY 316 | Research Methods And Statistics II Laboratory | 1 |
| SPN 431 | Medical Spanish II | 3 |
| SPN 554 | Twentieth-Century Latin-American Poetry | 3 |
| SPN 555 | Twentieth-Century Latin American Theatre | 3 |
| SPN 566 | History of the Romance Languages | 3 |
| SPN 599 | Senior Seminar | 3 |
| THR 441 | Play Direction And Script Analysis II | 3 |
| THR 467 | Theatre for Social Justice | 3 |
Research Dissemination: 1 credit
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CUR 400 Capstone in Undergraduate Research and Scholarship | ||
The purpose of the Capstone course is to create or finalize the portfolio of research dissemination activities that have been completed by the student since arriving at Creighton. Students must enroll in CUR 400 during the semester they anticipate finalizing the following required research activities:
- One research presentation, exhibit, or performance at an event that includes non-Creighton attendees (local, regional, national). A Creighton-hosted event satisfies this requirement if it is a local, regional, or national event with non-Creighton attendees invited.
- Attendance at 3 on-campus research, exhibition, or performance events (presentation at 2 on-campus events can substitute for the 3 attendance events). Off-campus presentations can substitute for up to 2 on-campus presentations.
- One research proposal (internal or external), or 1 submitted publication (internal via Quest (or equivalent internal publication outlets) or external outlets).
- Proposals
- Research proposals can be written as part of a course, an internal funding application (e.g. Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Projects Fellowship), or external funding mechanisms.
- All proposals should include clear rationale, goals, and proposed methodology. Proposals should be at least 1000 words in length (approximately 4 pages double-spaced), unless otherwise stipulated by the funding agency.
- All proposals must have gone through a peer or expert-review process (internal or external) to satisfy this requirement.
- Proposals do not need to be funded to satisfy this requirement (i.e. rejected proposals are acceptable)
- Publications
- Work submitted to external outlets does not have to be published to satisfy the requirement (i.e. works under review or rejected still count).
- Published abstracts alone do not satisfy this requirement
- Proposals