Research Intensive Courses

This is not an exhaustive list. If you don't see a course in this list, we encourage you to visit classes.ku.edu and/or your department's website to learn about more opportunities for research-focused classes.

• If you are a student, we encourage you to find classes in your department you're interested and ask your professors about what research they're doing. Even if you don't take the class, you can always reach out to professors to see if they have any openings in their research labs or if they can mentor an independent project.
• If you are a faculty member and you want your course on this list, please visit our page for Research Intensive Mini Grants for funding opportunities to turn your class into a research-intensive course. 

There are various types of research intensive classes at KU, including:

• Seminars: Small classes designed for group discussion and collaboration. The topics typically rotate every semester or every year to focus on certain topics.
• Honors/senior thesis and capstones: A research project or course undertaken near the end of an undergraduate degree, typically including a mentor and a project that may be presented and defended, depending on the department.
• Directed readings/ independent study: Students meet with professors, typically in a 1-on-1 setting to discuss any topics the student is interested in. Depending on the professor, these courses may include homework, final projects, or research experience.
• Labs: Opportunities to join an ongoing research lab. In STEM fields, these are often in physical laboratory settings, while in other fields, these may be online or encourage independent research.
• Research methods: Learn about the methods used in your field to start thinking about answering your research questions. These classes are typically in a standard classroom setting.