Curriculum

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Requirements and Time Commitments
  • The McNair Scholars Program is an intensive, year-long research program (which includes summer in addition to the academic year). All scholars are required to sign a program contract and time commitment contract which stipulate both the program expectations and requirements, as well as the amount of time that scholars will dedicate to the program throughout the year.
  • McNair Scholars are expected to:
    • Participate in all workshops, seminars, meetings, and classes
    • Meet with the McNair Program Coordinator once a month for general and academic advising
    • Complete the UNV 395 research methods class (Spring semester)
    • Complete a summer research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor
    • Participate in all summer research activities
    • Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA
    • Apply to a minimum of 6 graduate programs (10 for psychology majors) and a minimum of 4 fellowships
    • Maintain contact with the CSUDH McNair Scholars Program for 10 years
Faculty Mentoring and Summer Research
  • McNair Scholars are paired with a CSUDH faculty mentor whose research interests align with that of the scholar. The role of the faculty mentor is to provide academic support as it pertains to the development and implementation of the scholar’s research project. The faculty mentor will work with the scholar to see the project to completion. The relationship between the McNair Scholar and their faculty mentor is much like that of a graduate school faculty advisor and their advisee.
  • Each McNair Scholar will complete a summer research project. The project will be done in conjunction with a faculty mentor that results in a publishable research paper and a presentation at a research symposium. Summer research projects can also be completed at other institutions that offer competitive summer undergraduate research programs.
Graduate Admissions Preparation
  • The CSUDH McNair Scholars program is dedicated to achieving very high graduate school program acceptance rates with our participant scholars.
  • Scholars undergo a full preparation program, including:
    • Visits to local Research 1 institutions to meet with faculty of interest
    • Statement of purpose and curriculum vitae writing workshops
    • GRE preparation workshops
    • Seminars geared towards familiarizing students with the graduate application process and requirements
    • Education planning and advising
    • Access to the program’s Graduate Assistant who provides academic support
    • Summer workshop series