Now that you have a brief understanding of research and creative scholarship in general, it is important to know the focus of the research and creative scholarship being conducted in your discipline.

The information below was gathered from the websites of the Colleges/Schools at the University of Oregon.

*Reminder: be sure to write down any notes or thoughts that come to you while reviewing the following information.

College of Arts and Sciences

• Humanities: The study of human meaning as it is expressed in diverse languages, explained in diverse literatures, and reflected upon from diverse philosophical and religious perspectives.  Beyond describing human life, social practices and complex systems, students of the humanities seek to understand the values and purposes that make practices and systems worthwhile.
• Social Sciences: The CAS social sciences departments provide an analytical approach to society’s problems.  As a result, faculty and students in the social sciences often focus on issues that are polemic – racism, international conflict and war, ethnic strife, poverty.  The goal, however, is to take an objective, empirical approach to these issues that can generate genuine passion.
• Natural Sciences: The CAS science departments are committed to creating and disseminating new knowledge.  Faculty and students are engaged in research that spans a broad range from the basic to the applied, from questions about the foundations of quantum mechanics, to the development of cancer cells and the working of the brain, to work that result in the spin-off of high-technology companies.

College of Design

• A large range of research and scholarship opportunities – ranging from historical investigations to analysis and design of contemporary cities, buildings and interiors.
• Design problems often arise from real needs in real places that affect real people.
• Students and faculty employ a fluid continuum of practices – using old and new media in surprising ways to speak to compelling questions.  Emphasis is on the inextricable linkage of making and thinking, of material and technical skills with conceptual and critical understanding.
• Students acquire competencies invaluable to many professions, including oral and written communication skills, creative thinking, and critical analysis.

College of Education

• Research faculty and graduate students work together with school districts and agency partners to meet the needs of children and families nationwide.
• Research topics range from the use of advanced technology in education, educational policy, and the design, delivery, and efficacy of curriculum, instruction and assessment.

Lundquist College of Business

• Engage in compelling and relevant real-world projects.  You’ll have lots of opportunities to interact, discuss, debate, and collaborate and tackle challenges facing actual businesses.
• Faculty have pioneered new methods to forecast inventory, finance sports stadiums, commercialize scientific discoveries, optimize manufacturing process, and manage large organizations.

School of Journalism & Communication

• Students perform project based applied research such as creating a documentary, a prototype of a magazine, a public service campaign, or some other type of professional-level work that can be presented to prospective employers.

School of Music and Dance

• Students perform creative scholarship in the areas of music performance, dance, music theory, musicology-music history, ethnomusicology, and music education.

It is important to remember that the descriptions provided above only give you a general idea of the research and creative scholarship being performed in the colleges and schools at the UO.  We will discuss how you can get a more comprehensive understanding of the opportunities in the following sections.

Next – Exploring a topic