Academic Showcase

Turn Your Research Into Recognition (and Course Credit)

As a part of Concordia University’s commitment to academic excellence, Concordia holds an annual President’s Academic Showcase of Undergraduate Research. The competition is a chance for top students to work one-on-one with a faculty mentor on an undergraduate research project that the student chooses.

The competition is interdisciplinary, drawing entries from across the university in subjects such as art, music, science, philosophy, theology, business, economics, healthcare, counseling, education, and more. A panel of faculty, selected from across the disciplines, serves as judges for the showcase.

There are two levels of competition: Tier One for upperclassman and Tier Two for freshmen and sophomores. Over $5000 in prizes are awarded, with a Tier One first-place prize of $1500.

There are three components to the competition: a research paper, an academic poster, and an oral presentation.

Students prepare a research paper up to 25 pages in length, designed to be sufficiently scholarly in the use of literature, choice of methodology, and discussion of results and implications.

Students also prepare an academic poster to display their results which should be sufficiently accessible in language, style, and presentation.

Five finalists for the competition are invited to give twenty-minute oral presentations of their work. Winners are invited to represent Concordia by presenting their research at an inter-collegiate undergraduate research conference the following fall.

Students can earn up to 3 units of course credit for their work in the President’s Academic Showcase. If interested please discuss this option with your faculty mentor and complete the Individualized Study form to sign up for the credits.