Research Opportunities by Department
Undergraduate Research in the Department of Religion & Classics
Opportunities:
Undergraduates often carry out research in the Department of Religion and Classics as an independent study, or as part of a senior project or honors thesis. Some students undertake original research during regular courses such as REL 167, where students study gravestones and funerary architecture in Rochester's historic Mt. Hope cemetery. Summer study abroad programs also offer opportunities, including fieldwork in archaeology. As in the Humanities in general, research in Religion and Classics tends to be an individual undertaking in consultation with an advisor, and so students are encouraged to develop and pursue independent projects as they work their way through their area of concentration.
- A few recent examples of research done by Religion and Classics majors:
- “Sonic Architecture and the Creation of Space” by Alfred Vitale (class of 2004) in the Journal of Undergraduate Research, Spring, 2004
- “Digging up the Truth, the History of the De Jongh Family Monument” by Hannah Newborn (class of 2003) in the Journal of Undergraduate Research, Fall, 2003
- “Frederick F. Kislingbury: Rochester’s First Arctic Explorer” by Stephanie Mason (class of 2008) in the Journal of Undergraduate Research, Fall, 2007
How to get started:
Original research in Religion and Classics frequently requires skill in a relevant foreign language and mastery of substantial secondary material. Students can best prepare for this through appropriate coursework and by studying the original language of the traditions and civilizations on which they intend to do research.
