Below is a general list of activities and responsibilities. Learn more about this internship by attending an Informational Meeting or by contacting a member of the staff. We also encourage you to look at our current group of scholars and feel to reach out to any of them to discuss the program and what they’ve gotten out of it.
Scholar Orientation
Meet fellow scholars and receive a handbook detailing the program’s expectations and resources.
Conduct Research
Scholars conduct 275 hours of research. For the academic year, this averages to 10 hours per week.
Meetings with Mentor
Scholars meet weekly with their mentor to discuss such things as their research, progress on their graduate applications, possible conferences to attend, etc.
McNair Workshops and Events
Scholars attend skill building workshops on a range of topics including graduate school admission processes and graduate funding sources.
GRE Preparation
Scholars have the option of attending preparation classes for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) to aid in their test study skills for this exam. These classes are conducted by trained GRE educators.
Teaching Assistant Preparation
A one-hour university recognized class is offered to senior scholars each fall. The course gives scholars a framework of the teaching component of graduate education and allows scholars to gain an advantage in beginning a successful graduate career.
Research Papers
Throughout the year scholars submit papers on their research i.e. a research proposal, literature review, methods section, abstract and the final research paper.
Educational Planning
Biannually, scholars meet with the McNair staff to discuss educational plans and receive individualized aid in the graduate school admission process. This enables the McNair Program to champion the scholars’ cause with their intended schools.
Professional Meetings
Scholars have the opportunity to attend a conference in their field with their mentor. Attending a conference will serve as an introduction to your chosen academic research and provides networking opportunities.
McNair Presentation and Research Poster Conference
Each scholar will receive instructions in creating a research poster. This poster and a 5 to 7 minute address will be presented at the annual McNair Scholars Conference held in April.
Graduate Application
Each senior scholar is required to submit at least two applications to graduate schools. With the assistance from the McNair staff and their mentor, they will seek out fellowships and financial aid.
Departmental Events
Scholars are encouraged to attend events such as job talks, dissertation defenses or brown bag discussions held by their respective departments.
Publishing Opportunity
An editorial board composed of research faculty members and administrators from a variety of disciplines will select the best research papers for inclusion in the MU McNair Journal.
Follow-up
Scholars will maintain contact with the McNair Program in order to fulfill the U.S. Department of Education requirement.