STEM Research Honors Certificate Program

This is content from the Catalog 2022–2023 past issue. Please visit the current catalog for current information.

Contact: Dr. Raina 'Reni' Ivanova, Ph. D.
STEM Research Honors Program Director

Office Location CH-8B

Email: rivanova@hawaii.edu

Website: https://hilo.hawaii.edu/academics/stem-honors/index.php

The STEM Research Honors Certificate Program will expose students from all Natural Science departments and programs to the highest academic standards and provide them with guidance, academic mentorship, and opportunities to participate in advanced modern research. The total number of credits required for the Program varies by major (see table below).

Mission

The STEM Research Honors Certificate Program promotes academic excellence and provides exceptional undergraduate students from all mathematics and science majors the opportunity to participate in collaborative research or conduct their own research under the guidance of a mentor.

Program Learning Outcomes

The STEM Research Honors Certificate Program promotes the following skills:

1. (Knowledge): Demonstrate mastery of the core material in mathematics and their major discipline
2. (Knowledge): Demonstrate mastery of advanced concepts in their major discipline
3. (Reasoning): Use a variety of scientific techniques to collect data, analyze it, and test hypotheses.
4. (Reasoning): Analyze research activities in terms of where they fit within the scientific method
5. (Communication): Articulate, both verbally and in writing, the purpose, methods, findings, and significance of their research

Student Learning Outcomes

STEM Research Honors Certificate Program graduates should be able to:

1. Conduct original research or engage in applications of prior research
2. Prepare a formal research proposal
3. Report their findings in a manuscript
4. Present their results in the STEM Honors Research Symposium

Curricula

Requirements for the STEM Research Honors Certificate Program:

1. Required Courses

   • MATH 241 Calculus I (4)
   • MATH 242 Calculus II (4)
   • 3-8 credits of major core courses for their major only (see list below)
   • Major 399 (3)
   • Major 499 (3)
   • HON 495 Honors Research Symposium (1)

2. Overall GPA of 3.75 or higher

Biology (8)

• BIOL 171-171L Introductory Biology I (3), Introductory Biology I Lab (1)
• BIOL 270-270L Intermed Cell & Molecular Biol (3), Inter Cell & Molecular Bio Lab (1)

Chemistry (8)

• CHEM 241-241L Organic Chem I (3), Organic Chem I Lab (1)
• CHEM 242-242L Organic Chem II (3), Organic Chem II Lab (1)

Computer Science (3)

• CS 321 Data Structures (3)

Environmental Sciences (3)

• ENSC 385 Field Methods in Geog/Env Sci (3)

Geology (7 or 8)

• GEOL 112-112L Hist of the Earth & Its Life (3), History of the Earth Lab (1)
• and either:
  • GEOL 212 Earth Materials I: Minerals (4) , or
  • GEOL 330 Deformation of the Earth (4)

Marine Science (8)

• MARE 265 Marine Ecology and Evolution (3)
• and either:
  • MARE 350-350L Coastal Methods and Analyses (3), Coastal Methods & Analyses Lab (2) , or
  • MARE 353-353L Pelagic Methods and Analyses (3), Pelagic Methods & Analyses Lab (2)

Note: In Marine Science, MARE 470 Senior Thesis Research (3) and MARE 471 Senior Thesis Report (3) will substitute for Major 399 Independent Study (3) and Major 499 Independent Study (3)

Mathematics (6)

• MATH 243 Calculus III (3)
• MATH 244 Calculus IV (3)

Physics & Astronomy (6)

• Physics:
  • PHYS 274 Gen Phys III: Intro Modern Phy (3)
  • PHYS 331 Optics (3)
• Astronomy:
  • PHYS 274 Gen Phys III: Intro Modern Phy (3)
  • ASTR 350 Stellar Astrophysics (3)

Total number of semester hours required (by major)

Notes:

1. Students must pass each course within the certificate program with a minimum grade of A-.