The McNair Scholars Program prepares undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. McNair participants are either first-generation college students with financial need or members of a group that is historically underrepresented in graduate education and have demonstrated strong academic potential. McNair provides a series of workshops on research methods, data collection, research writing, and maintaining research budgets. These workshops culminate in an eight-week research summer program where students with their Faculty Mentor complete a research project that simulates graduate school level work.
The program also prepares the participants for applying to graduate school through a series of workshops on the GRE, writing a Personal Statement, writing a CV, and preparing for interviews. McNair also holds a series of seminars on how to pick a Faculty Mentor and Graduate Advisor, Graduate School Culture, and how to present at a Conference. The McNair Scholars Program provides travel funding for presenting at academic conferences, visiting potential graduate schools, and for research. The goal of the McNair Scholars Program is to increase graduate degrees awarded to students from underrepresented segments of society by helping them to experience graduate level research and providing them with focused advising on how to best prepare for applying to and attending graduate school.