First-year students have the opportunity to study innovative research topics with accomplished faculty in small classes through Dean's Seminars. The seminars are classes designed for Columbian College students who are not in programs with required first-year courses, such as the Honors Program or the Women's Leadership Program. Students may register for only one Dean's Seminar each semester. The seminars fulfill part of the General Curriculum Requirements.

The Luther Rice Undergraduate Research Fellowships, established in 2003, encourage undergraduates to engage in independent research. Luther Rice Fellows are selected each year, based on students' proposals for projects supported by a faculty member, who serves as the fellow's mentor. Grants may be used for research-related expenses, housing, travel to conferences or research sites, or for other ways that support the exploration and discovery process.

By handling 500-year-old books at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., students can discover how they were used and what they meant. Annotations on books, the ways in which they were bound and the collections of which they were a part provide a window onto early culture that cannot be found in facsimiles or modern editions. In this advanced research seminar, students will have the unique opportunity to learn about the history and sociology of early modern books through a hands-on exploration of the Folger Shakespeare Library's rare book archives. Readings will introduce students to current theories of book history, and archival exercises will relate that theory to actual books. The seminar will allow students to develop and advance their own research interests, and would be ideal for seniors interested in pursuing graduate studies in literature, history, or library science.

Dean's Scholars in Shakespeare is a co-curricular program for those interested in the performance and study of the works of William Shakespeare. A select group of freshmen have the opportunity to explore their interests through tailored introductory courses, guest artists and lecturers, performances and programs provided by The Folger Shakespeare Library, The Shakespeare Theatre, and the GW Department of Theatre.

The Dean’s Scholars in Globalization program allows a select group of sophomores to examine an issue of global significance with international partners from other universities. The Dean’s Scholars in Globalization program operates under the belief that all inquiry must be globally sensitive: for example, economists must know the world context of financial markets and capital investment as much as biochemists must understand the transnational implications of genomics and proteomics.