It teaches students to defend their hypotheses and their data. At the undergraduate level, research exposes students early to the inner dynamics of a discipline, as well as to new, evolving ideas that will shape society in the future. Peter Johnson, chemistry professor, sends undergraduate students to professional meetings to present research papers under an NSF grant. And it shows them a different side of learning, leading many of them to pursue teaching as a career. At the graduate level, the Institute of Psychology adds a clinical component to its educational experience that integrates research with theory and practice.
Research makes continuing professional education programs stronger.
Even graduating students know that a bachelor's degree is the first step in a long educational journey. He argued that innovative and successful companies know this and make continuing education a top priority. Donald Ucci, interim chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is a firm believer in the continuing education aspect of IIT's professional master's degrees. They offer an efficient way for people employed in a field to update themselves. It's our faculty's research that gives these programs their edge.