Research at Brandeis

Student Research

Figuring out what you really want to do in life can take some research.

male student conducting a science experiment in lab with test tubes

Undergraduate Research

At Brandeis, undergraduates have the chance to work alongside faculty researchers, even a Nobel laureate. They also lead their own research projects. Our undergraduates have co-authored hundreds of peer-reviewed research articles in scientific journals and jump-started their careers in academia, industry, government and the nonprofit sector. Undergraduate Research and Creative Collaborations (URCC) in the School of Arts and Sciences developed an institution-wide portal linking programs and resources for undergraduate research and creative collaborations in the Creative Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences. Additionally, the library provides support for student research; contact a subject librarian as your entry point or for a referral with research.

See also Guidelines for Undergraduate Research Participation

Graduate Research

classics student with Ann Olga Koloski-OstrowIf advanced study is part of your plan, here’s how we do it: through small classes, faculty mentorship, and close collaboration with fellow students and professors. And we make it financially feasible. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Brandeis International Business School and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management all offer scholarships, grants, fellowships and internships, as well as lifetime career support, to help make your professional dream a reality.

Student Research in the News

In 2023, Alexandra Burkot’s research journey took her to Athens, Greece. There, the Brandeis University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) Musicology PhD student spent nine months researching the composer Dimitrios Levidis, particularly his 1943 composition setting a passage from the "Iliad"; the piece was composed when Greece was under occupation during World War II and was presumed lost for decades.

In recent months, students in Brandeis University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences have earned a variety of prestigious external grants and fellowships for the upcoming academic year. Traveling to locations from California to Germany, they will pursue their research on a range of topics, from sterilization experiments conducted during the Holocaust to multicultural families’ experiences in contemporary South Korea.

Explaining your research in just three minutes is a tall order, but on April 5, the third annual 3MT Competition, founded by the University of Queensland, saw ten GSAS students meet that very task.

This past December, Liz Mahon finished the fall semester with a bang by traveling to the nation’s capital to try out her three minute thesis on a new audience. Accompanied by Alyssa Canelli, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs for GSAS, and by Ollie the Owl, Liz was ready to compete in the finals for the North American 3MT Competition, hosted by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS).