Research

Students in the Custom-Designed Major pursue research at multiple levels.

Senior Capstone Project and Presentation

All CSDN students are required to complete a senior capstone project over the course of their final year at Drexel. Student conduct their research under the guidance of their faculty mentor(s). CSDN capstone projects take many shapes; in the past students' capstones have included:

An article based on original research
An artistic project, such as an exhibit, film, novel, or play
The design and development of a product, process, or website

Students work on their capstone project over three terms in three 3-credit courses: CSDN 304, 305, and 306. Generally, CSDN students submit a research proposal for their capstone project the end of their junior year with research beginning Fall Term of their senior year. All CSDN students present their capstone research project three times:

Poster presentations at Crit Sessions, which occur in the final weeks of CSDN 304 and CSDN 305. Students present their topics and research through multiple phases in order to demonstrate progress and receive feedback.
CSDN students are required to present their completed capstone projects during a showcase at the end of the academic year. Presentations are open to the wider Drexel community.

Independent Study Courses

Some CSDN students work closely with faculty to develop upper-division (300- or 400-level) independent study courses. These nuanced courses allow students to develop deeper expertise and additional skills with an expert in their field. Furthermore, students connect one-on-one with faculty who may become mentors for their capstone project. CSDN students approach faculty they want to work with and suggest a few course topics that connect to one of their concentration areas and are not offered at Drexel.

Examples of Independent Study Courses

This course will examine companies that consider themselves to be sustainable and provide clarity to the current methods that they are using in order to brand themselves in this way. We will analyze the methods brands must use in order to transform sustainable products from a niche market into a mass market.

The purpose of this independent study is to explore Nikolas Rose’s sociological work on neuroscience and the “psy-“ sciences (primarily psychology and psychiatry). The goal is to gain a better understanding of how the studying of the brain and its functions (the “neuro”) has framed how we have come to understand ourselves as modern subjects. In doing so, we will examine historical, social, and scientific accounts of the brain sciences and explore how they inform our conceptions of what it means to be a person in contemporary society.

This independent study will explore gender construction and subject formation through the theoretical lens of Judith Butler’s performativity. The goal is to create a foundational understanding of how gender and sexual identity are constructed, as well as the role that performance (what Butler refers to as “performativity”) plays in that construction.

This independent study is focused on understanding and applying statistical analysis methodologies and introductory machine learning techniques to functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data collected during behavioral tasks.

"The ability to work on an interdisciplinary project in relation to my major allowed me and my project partner to explore spaces we would not have previously been able to as a single-discipline student. Likewise, it enabled us to fuel genuine passion and curiosity into the study we performed and develop solutions flexibly without any established program reservations."

—Aidan Toole, custom-designed major in human-centered design

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Research

Senior Capstone Project and Presentation

Independent Study Courses

Examples of Independent Study Courses

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