2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This paper examines a research-based additive manufacturing (AM) course designed to support undergraduate engineering students’ early discovery of research and graduate education pathways through structured near-peer mentorship. In the course, undergraduate students engage in semester-long, team-based AM research projects aligned with active laboratory investigations, while graduate students serve as near-peer mentors who provide technical guidance, research training, and professional socialization. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, the study investigates how this learning environment supports students’ autonomy, competence, relatedness, and emerging research identity.

Survey data were collected from undergraduate participants enrolled in the course in Spring 2025 (N = 34) using Likert-scale and open-ended items measuring perceptions of course rigor, understanding of engineering research, graduate school intentions, and the influence of near-peer mentorship. Quantitative results indicate that 94% of students reported improved understanding of how engineering research is conducted, and 73.5% indicated that the course influenced their decision-making regarding graduate education, either by increasing interest or clarifying misalignment with research careers. Qualitative findings reveal that hands-on research experiences, exposure to graduate research environments, and sustained interaction with graduate mentors were central in shaping students’ confidence, self-efficacy, and career clarity.

Findings suggest that embedding authentic research and near-peer mentorship within undergraduate AM coursework provides a powerful mechanism for helping students make informed career decisions while strengthening research preparedness and identity formation. Since inception, this course-based undergraduate research model has produced multiple refereed journal and conference publications co-authored by undergraduate research teams and graduate mentors, demonstrating that near-peer, team-based research integration is both pedagogically and professionally effective. This model offers a scalable approach for advancing manufacturing education and supporting the development of both undergraduate researchers and graduate student mentors.