Program Description
The Humanities Research Opportunities (HRO) program offers qualified Harpur college students the opportunity to pursue an independent research project in or about a topic relevant to the humanities. In the context of the HRO program, the humanities are understood broadly to include the academic disciplines and interdisciplinary programs that study the stories, ideas, words, and symbols that have been and are being used by people to give meaning to, make sense of, and apprehend some aspect of the human experience and human condition. Students in the program work both in a seminar setting and with Binghamton University faculty mentors as they develop their ideas, pursue their research, write a paper, and prepare and present in a poster board session.
Two HRO opportunities are available one is for Sophomores and the second for Juniors. Students completing an HRO semester (Sophomore or Junior) will receive a certificate of completion as well as a small scholarship that will be directly applied to their Student Accounts toward tuition or/and books during the following semester or year of their studies at Binghamton University. The students’ faculty mentors receive a small research allowance.
In addition to having the appropriate standing during the HRO semester, to be eligible for an HRO semester:
- The student must either already have declared or be interested in pursuing a Harpur college major in the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, a fitting major in another college or school of the university or a fitting interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary program.
- The student should be serious about pursuing research and writing in a seminar format.
During the HRO semester, the students will
- Be registered for HARP 279 (Sophomore Seminar: Humanities) or HARP 399. In the seminar students discuss research, learn about the ethics of research, the importance of multi/interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to one’s own work, develop a research agenda for the semester, and write a research paper.
- Meet with a faculty mentor as needed for their own research.
- Present their research in a poster board session at the end of the semester.
Candidates for the HRO Sophomore Semester are recommended to IASH by EOP and SSS. Candidates for the HRO Junior Semester are recruited by IASH from a list of students with an excellent overall performance and in the student's chosen area(s) of study, which is usually reflected by a 3.6 GPA or better.
