Refine Your Topic

  • Find work by other people who share your interests: Browse department and program web pages and individual faculty profiles, look out for news on recent breakthroughs and publications by specific faculty members.
  • Talk to your professors: Go to office hours and tap your professors' expertise and their knowledge of their colleagues' work.
  • Mine the curriculum:  Choose courses that connect to your interests, that may help you develop the skills to get this project off the ground.
  • Search the libraries: Talk to a librarian, and search the library catalog and databases to find a few recent articles or books on this topic to understand what others have done in this area.
  • Attend events: Campus talks, departmental colloquia, performances, and other community events offer you the chance to meet students and potential mentors who work in areas that interest you.