Please read through the eligibility section of our website to see if you are eligible to apply for the program.
We encourage you to submit an application. All applicants will be contacted via email regarding their application status.
The minimum GPA requirement for a competitive graduate applicant is 3.0. However, if you have less than a 3.0 but an overall high major GPA, we encourage you to apply.
You do not need 60 units completed by the time you apply. However, you do need 60 units by the end of the spring semester, prior to beginning the McNair summer research program.
You are still encouraged to fill out an application. Our program is designed to expose McNair Scholars to the benefits of a doctorate and prepare them for the application process.
You are not required to have a faculty mentor at the time of applying. We encourage students to always make appointments with professors during their office hours. This is a great way to get to know your professors, and it helps you get more out of the classes you are taking. Let your professors know that you are interested in conducting undergraduate research and that you are applying to the USD McNair Scholars Program. We can also help students find a mentor.
Students may work with a mentor of their choice. Mentor must have a PhD and be available to supervise during the summer research program.
We cannot accept students who plan on taking courses or working during the summer. Our summer program is similar to a full-time job and requires full commitment to research, attending seminars, and completing assignments.
During the summer term, you will be preparing for the GRE examination and focusing on completing your research project to present at a research conference. It is expected that you will work on your research project about 30 hours per week and attend 9 hours of seminars during the summer.
You cannot participate in McNair while studying abroad in the summer. However, once accepted into the program, you may study abroad during the academic year.
During the summer research experience Scholars receive a stipend of up to $6000 and are eligible for paid summer housing. In addition, scholars are eligible for travel funding to attend conferences and graduate school visits. McNair Scholars also receive a GRE fee waiver and graduate application waivers.
The stipend does not affect your financial aid.
Yes, we encourage undergraduate students from ALL majors to apply for the program. However, we cannot serve students interested in a MD, JD, or MBA.
McNair Scholars can pursue graduate study in any research intensive program, but we cannot serve students interested in a MD, JD, or MBA.
You have to submit an application, and If deemed eligible, you will be contacted for an interview by the selection committee.
- Complete the online application
- A copy of your family’s most recent tax forms.
- Please provide a statement that is no longer than 500 words. You should address the following items in your statement:
- What is your motivation for applying to graduate school?
- Describe your future education and/or career goals, and explain how participation in the McNair Program is relevant to these goals.
- Discuss previous research and/or academic project(s) with significant research components:
- Issue/question you examined and its significance
- Methodology