Mendoza School of Business

Mendoza Research Honors Program


Become a Creator of Knowledge

The Mendoza Research Honors Program (MRHP) at Mendoza College of Business is a Collegewide program that provides opportunities for our ambitious undergraduate students to engage in business-related research in a collaborative and interdisciplinary way. Research engagement can be a valuable part of the academic experience. As a student, the experience allows you to progress in your scholarly journey from being a recipient of knowledge to an active creator of knowledge. In addition to learning the research process, you also gain a more comprehensive and contextual understanding of the field or discipline of interest.

Goals

  1. Broaden your awareness of academic research related to business, including potential implications for business decisions and the effects on the economy and society as a whole.
  2. Deeply engage you in business research, as both consumers and creators of knowledge in a structured and relevant manner.
  3. Focus your attention not only on major-specific research areas but also on the interdisciplinary nature of research to broaden your perspective and potential interests.
  4. Provide a shared signature experience, where students from across Mendoza engage in lively and constructive research discussions with both faculty and one another.
  5. Foster a research-centered community of faculty and students who strive to leverage their shared expertise and ambition to find innovative research-based business insights to help society.
  6. Provide a pathway for motivated students to explore a graduate school-like experience in preparation to be competitive in top doctoral programs.
  7. Enhance your critical thinking abilities by challenging your assumptions, logic and views, while providing structured frameworks for assessing information and critically evaluating arguments.

What You’ll Learn

The Mendoza Research Honors Program (MRHP) consists of the following 12-credit hour requirements following the timeline below.

Course: Introduction to Research Scholarship
Course Number: BAUG 20300
Credit Hours: 3

Introduction to Research Scholarship must be taken to apply for the MRHP. The course provides a high-level introduction to:

  • The academic research process, from idea generation and hypothesis development to data collection, research design and inference assessment.
  • The purpose and value of research to the University and society as a whole.
  • How to read and assess academic research papers.
  • The types of academic research conducted both within and across Mendoza departments.
  • Life as a researcher across each department, including career possibilities and expectations.
  • Various opportunities, paths, and resources available for students interested in engaging in research at Mendoza.

The course is discussion-based and designed for a small group of highly curious students to engage in dialogue with research-active faculty and students to learn more about academic research.

This is an elective course open to all Mendoza sophomores, juniors and seniors. The course has no exams and is graded on a pass/fail basis based on participation and several required written assignments.

Course: Two 3-credit hour research courses

The types of research courses can vary widely based on your experience and interests. In general, they are designed to help you understand and explore:

  • Research literature on topics of personal interest, including key theories, motivations, contributions, tensions and findings.
  • Topics that could serve as a catalyst for potential research questions to examine in the future.
  • Different types of research methods and data sources that can be used for a thesis.

See the FAQ list below for courses.

After taking the introductory course and the two additional research courses, you will have the opportunity to develop a viable research idea. This involves developing a research idea that includes a 2-3 page writeup describing:

  • The intended research question.
  • Any theoretical causal mechanisms proposed.
  • A general sense of its contribution.
  • A rough idea of how you might test your idea.

The proposal will be used to identify a faculty advisor willing to sponsor you based on the research idea.

Course: Independent Study
Credit Hours: 3
Semester: Fall or Spring

During Independent Study, you work on your thesis under the supervision of your faculty advisor, meeting regularly with the chosen professor and providing updates to the MRHP director to receive feedback and ensure you’re on track for thesis completion.

The thesis typically is 25-40 pages in length, with additional pages for appendices or supplemental material. Once the thesis is approved by the faculty advisor and MRHP director, you will present to a small group of informed faculty and MRHP students. Assessment is based on the quality of the thesis and the presentation. Successful defense of the thesis qualifies you as a research fellow, a distinction noted on your official transcript.

Hear From Our Students

headshot of Rory Denning“It is rare to have access to the breadth and depth of the business research faculty at Notre Dame and get to hear their insights first hand. I came into this course with no prior research experience and was welcomed with open arms. It’s an invaluable experience for any undergraduate.”

headshot of Simon Pels“The Mendoza Research Honors Program gave me broad exposure to the different branches of business research, and we got to have lengthy conversations with current Notre Dame professors about the process of research as well as potential career opportunities in the field. I feel I can scan through a complex research paper and glean the main takeaways in a relatively short time frame. Though I may not ultimately pursue a career in research, I am extremely glad I entered this program.”

headshot of Grace DeCroix“Engaging with academic research provides an opportunity to explore the variety of research topics that exist within a particular field and to find fellow students and faculty members who are trying to answer the questions that matter most to you. That experience can really change the way that you approach classroom learning, helping provide context to coursework.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

To apply to the program, students are required to take BAUG 20300 – Introduction to Research Scholarship. In this 3 CH course, students will learn about the research process, program expectations, resources, and the variety and type of research being conducted at Mendoza, which will allow students to make a much more informed decision as to whether they would like to undertake the rigorous program. At the end of the introductory course, students will be required to write a reflection paper. If after taking the course, a student would like to be a part of the MRHP, he/she should email the director to indicate this preference. At that point, the director will evaluate the reflection paper as well as the students’ performance in the course, along with faculty advisor availabilities in the students’ preferred field, to determine admittance into the program.

Absolutely. Students who just want to take the introductory course or any specific research course are more than welcome to sign up for the course, as long as they have the required prerequisites; however, preference for enrollment in research courses will be given to MRHP students.

Yes! For Business Honors Program students, completing the four-course MRHP program will satisfy your four-course BHP Intermediate and Advanced requirements. Students who begin the MRHP but do not complete it can count all completed MRHP courses, as long as they are taken for a grade. This caveat relates to the introduction course (BAUG 20300), which is available to be taken pass/fail or for a letter grade. So, BHP students must take the course for a grade if they do not finish the MRHP to receive credit.

No, the proposed timeline is just an “optimal” path that allows students the summer to develop a research idea and find an advisor for their final, independent study course, which will be in their senior year. However, this is not a required path. For example, some students study abroad in the spring of their junior year, and may choose to take two research-related courses in the fall of their junior year, but others might choose to take one course in the fall of their junior year and the other course in the fall of their senior year. While the former could take their independent study in the fall or the spring of their senior year, the latter would need to take their independent study course in the spring of their senior year. Ultimately, any student that would like to enroll in the MRHP, but cannot follow the proposed path, should reach out to the MRHP director to discuss acceptable alternatives. The director will try to accommodate any request.

The prerequisite for BAUG 20300 is a basic statistics course. Mendoza students will typically have had their required introductory statistics course by the end of their sophomore year. As such, the program is designed to offer BAUG 20300 each spring to sophomores. However, if a freshman student wants to take BAUG 20300 and believes he/she has had significant statistics training, he/she should contact the MRHP director to receive permission to take the course.

Ideally, students would take the introductory course as a sophomore to (i) learn about the different course offerings in more detail before selecting their path in the program, (ii) gauge their interest in pursuing research further, and (iii) develop relationships with their cohorts at the start of the program. However, particularly in the initial years of the MRHP, juniors who are interested in the program should talk with the MRHP director to determine whether there is a viable way to fulfill the requirements, perhaps by doubling up on courses rather than sequentially taking courses or counting prior research courses toward their progress. Each student’s case will be different, so it is best to seek advice from the MRHP director about possibilities.

Yes! As part of the MRHP, students will be provided (at least) four important opportunities:

1) Research assistantship: MRHP students are highly encouraged to serve as a (compensated) research assistant at least one semester with a research-active faculty member. To facilitate this process, the director will discuss students’ research interests and goals, then work to connect them with faculty whose research areas of expertise most closely align with the students’ research interests. Research assistant tasks will be commensurate with student ability and interest.

2) Mentorship: A major focus of the MRHP is student mentorship, which includes strong support from the MRHP director, faculty advisors, and other research leaders both within Mendoza and across the University as well as more senior research-active students to ensure students’ success in their research endeavors by creating a research culture of support.

3) Research-related travel: Students are encouraged to experience research outside of the classroom. One example of such an experience would be attending an academic conference with a Notre Dame faculty member (presumably an advisor) in their chosen research field to get a better sense of the profession and meet some of the key players in their research area of interest. All research-related travel should be approved by the MRHP director, and financial support will be discussed at that time.

4) Research funding: In addition to funding for travel, MRHP students are eligible to receive funding for activities to support their own research, such as the purchase of needed computer hardware, software, databases, etc. Students can also receive assistance in applying for scholarship opportunities.

Accountancy:

  • Academic Research in Accounting (ACCT 40830)
  • Information Flows in the Capital Market and Academic Research (ACCT 40840)

ITAO:

  • Human-centered Analytics: Measurement, Design, Analysis (ITAO 50860)
  • Designing for Human-centered AI (ITAO 50850)
  • Machine Learning & Natural Language Processing (ITAO 80810)
  • Philosophy of Science (ITAO 80820)

M&O:

  • Theory & Research in Strategy (MGTO 43125)
  • Upper Echelons Perspective: Theory & Research (MGTO 43130)
  • Research Methods in Management (MGTO 80420)
  • Research Methods in Strategy (MGTO 80430)

Finance:

  • Academic Research in Finance (FIN 40830)

Marketing:

  • N/A

Please reach out to the MRHP Director and Professor of Accountancy, Hal White, at hwhite5@nd.edu.

headshot

Hal White

For any questions about the Mendoza Research Honors Program, contact:

Hal White
Faculty Director of the Mendoza Research Honors Program
Vincent and Rose Lizzadro Professor of Accountancy
hwhite5@nd.edu