The McNair Scholars Program is a comprehensive program structured to prepare undergraduates for successful careers as graduate students, professors, and professional researchers. This preparation is offered in the form of meetings, seminars, advising, tutoring, faculty mentoring , and the completion of a Summer Research Internship .
Most students begin the program as sophomores or juniors.
At first, the program's primary purpose is to advise new scholars on how to get the most out of their undergraduate careers. To this end, McNair staff help scholars create an Academic Development Plan to see that students are making significant progress toward their academic goals. During the school year before their internships, McNair Scholars complete a Pre-Research Colloquium to prepare for their summer research. They continue to develop relationships with faculty members, from whom each scholar chooses an internship mentor . Upon completion of their research, scholars write an article for submission to the McNair Scholars Program.