Whitworth professors view their scholarly work as being essential to great teaching, and they engage students fully in the process of discovering new knowledge and creating original contributions to their fields.

Students work alongside faculty on research ranging from assessing the impact of micro-lending in developing countries and exploring the theological insights of early Christian aesthetics to the role enzymes play in memory function for treating Alzheimer's patients. Many faculty/student research projects are funded by national organizations or grants, and Whitworth offers students opportunities for research fellowships and paid appointments as research assistants.

Through submitting their work for peer review at regional and national conferences and publishing their work in notable journals, students join an academic enterprise that advances the frontiers of knowledge and applies that knowledge to solving the world's most complex problems. Whitworth students' innovative research also provides them with a body of peer-reviewed and published work that helps make them successful candidates for competitive graduate programs and industry careers.