How would you like to connect your academic learning to real-world problems? Do you want to make completely new and original contributions to human knowledge? What if you could do all that while getting a head start on your career?
In our research programs, you’ll be able to work side-by-side with faculty who are making important advancements in their fields. You don’t have to wait until you’re a graduate student to start either. We offer research opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Shippensburg University encourages you to dive deep into a subject that interests you.
Faculty Research at Shippensburg University
Faculty-Student research occurs in many departments at Shippensburg University. Faculty members are devoted to providing students with the opportunity to perform undergraduate research as well as graduate research.
Pictured left: Professor Richard Stewart performing research on the diet of native Pennsylvania gray foxes and red foxes during winter to assist the Pennsylvania Game Commission in making improved decisions about the management of the canid.
Research Grants for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Undergraduate Research Grants
Undergraduate students are encouraged to submit applications for independent research to be conducted during the academic year and summer months. This university-wide program has supported laboratory research, field activities, art projects, written works and computer applications, and is funded by the Shippensburg University Foundation.
Graduate Research Grants
The Graduate Research and Travel Grant Program is designed to provide financial support to graduate students for research or scholarly activities related to their program of study to enable them to better understand the scientific process, experience discovery, develop their analytical and communication skills, and gain exposure to national ideas through the presentation of the results of their research at conferences.
Minds@Work Student Research Conference
Minds@Work prepares Ship students for the demands of graduate pursuits, as well as some of the challenges our students may experience in their chosen profession. This experience helps our student scholars to develop communication and presentation skills and allows them to practice articulating their ideas clearly and effectively and is made possible through the mentorship and expertise of our dedicated faculty who prepare and guide students through this experience.
Field Research at Ship
Center for Land Use and Sustainability (CLUS)
The Center for Land Use and Sustainability has grown to become a key resource for collaborative research throughout central Pennsylvania and the northeast region. Leveraging a team of interdisciplinary scientists, the CLUS aims to promote sustainable land use, economic development, cultural and natural resource management, and multi-scale community support. As an academic institution, the CLUS is also able to provide valuable professional opportunities for student work and research.
NSF-IRES Research in Ghana
This project engages US undergraduate and graduate students across STEM disciplines in high-impact water quality, sanitation, and climate change research in Cape Coast, Ghana, West Africa, giving US students important interdisciplinary, real-world problem-solving, and collaborative skills, as they experience first-hand the critical water and sanitation challenges in a developing country.
Burd Run Interdisciplinary Watershed Research Lab
The Burd Run Interdisciplinary Watershed Research Laboratory at Shippensburg University (SU) is a cooperative effort within the Department of Geography-Earth Science to provide field training through collection and analysis of environmental data from a single watershed.
Chincoteague Bay Field Station at Wallops Island, Virginia
Faculty from our member universities and independent investigators from other universities and organizations are eligible to conduct research utilizing CBFS resources and partnerships. We are able to provide the support that is needed including housing, equipment, lab space, assistance with permits, making arrangements with partner organizations, and potential access to Wallops Island.
Hands-on Experiences and Creative Works
Hands-on Experiences
We connect students with enriching opportunities and service-learning projects that bring classroom learning to life - deepening understanding, building skills, and leading to strong career outcomes and placement.
Creative Works
Shippensburg University strives to create a learning environment that promots unique, creative, and collaborative works. These opportunities spark curiosity, sharpen creative thinking skills, and build confidence in students. From music, to theartre, sculpture to graphic design, or poetry and prose, the opportunities at Ship are endless.