Purpose
Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement programs, also known as McNair Scholars Programs, prepare university juniors and seniors who are low-income, first generation, and/or underrepresented in graduate education for doctoral education. The U.S. Department of Education currently funds approximately 150 of these programs nationally.
UNT’s McNair Scholars Program provides students selected as McNair Scholars with research opportunities, faculty mentors, and a variety of services to successfully complete the baccalaureate degree and prepare for graduate school. Funding for the UNT program comes from the U.S. Department of Education and the University of North Texas President.
The goal of all program is to increase the number of students from underrepresented segments of society that successfully complete a Ph.D. degree.
Eligibility
The U.S. Department of Education and the UNT McNair Scholars Program have set the following eligibility requirements. You may qualify for the program if you meet all of these criteria:
- you come from a household where neither parent has a four-year degree
- you come from a low-income household
- you are a member of an underrepresented group in graduate education
- your ultimate educational goal is a doctoral (Ph.D.) degree
- you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- your GPA is a 3.2 or above
- you want to conduct research with the guidance of a faculty mentor
- you need assistance navigating the graduate school process
- you have at least three long semesters at UNT before you graduate
Services & Benefits
- Participate in
- Faculty-mentored research
- Professional conferences
- Summer research class
- Receive stipends
- Participants receive stipends for research during the academic year. Summer stipends are provided to scholars who meet specific criteria for summer research. Stipends are provided for the summer by the U.S. Department of Education and by UNT for the academic year.
- Prepare for graduate school
- Intensive GRE preparation
- Preparing your application
- Securing graduate admission
- Visiting graduate schools
- Recieve Advising
- Academic counseling
- Personal and career advising
- Financial aid advising
- Tutoring
- Summer research course (tuition support provided)
McNair Scholar Should Consider Applying to the Honors College!
McNair scholars may also be eligible to join the Honors College. Check out the eligibility requirements at: https://honors.unt.edu/admissions/eligibility. And see what the Honors College offers to further enhance your undergraduate learning experience: https://honors.unt.edu/admissions and http://honors.unt.edu/advantage/index.htm.