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Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate
Achievement Program

The McNair Scholars Program is a Federal TRiO program designed to prepare students from low income, first-generation, and traditionally under-represented groups for doctoral studies. McNair Scholars participate in courses, seminars, and workshops on topics related to graduate school preparation, complete a paid research experience under the guidance of a faculty mentor, and have the opportunity to present their research at local, regional, or national conference. The McNair program staff works closely with students as they complete their undergraduate requirements and graduate school applications.

Interest Form
student presenting research poster

Program Overview

Yearly benefits of the program include: 

  • Identifying, Proposing, and Completing a quality academic research project
  • Mentoring with faculty, staff, and individuals from the community
  • Tutoring and academic counseling
  • Identifying and obtaining information about graduate programs
  • Preparing for and taking the Graduate Records Exam (GRE)
  • Assistance with preparing graduate school applications
  • Learning about scholarships and fellowships for graduate study
  • Prospective university and college campus visits, and tours
  • Professional conference presentation opportunities

Additionally, our cornerstone Summer Research Experience (SRE) is where students gain the majority of their benefits: 

  • A summer stipend provided to Scholars who actively participate in an approved SRE
  • Funding for materials and supplies to be used during the SRE
  • Seminars on how to conduct scholarly research work
  • Participation in scholarly research under the supervision of a faculty mentor
  • Travel funding to represent FIU and the McNair Program at professional/ academic conferences locally and across the country
  • Participation in professional and academic developmental workshops and seminars
  • Receive intensive free GRE preparation
  • Receive GRE Fee Waiver (where applicable)
  • Receive Graduate School Application Fee Waivers (where applicable)
  • Improve study and test-taking skills
  • Receive academic, personal, and career counseling
  • Receive financial aid advising
  • Receive support in securing graduate admission

 If you have further questions about the application, please contact our main email address at: mcnair@fiu.edu 

Dr. Ronald Erwin McNair

Physicist and Astronaut Ronald Erwin McNair Graduated from Carver High School, Lake City, South Carolina, in 1967; received a bachelor of science degree in Physics from North Carolina A&T State University in 1971 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976; presented an honorary doctorate of Laws from North Carolina A&T State University in 1978, an honorary doctorate of Science from Morris College in 1980, and an honorary doctorate of science from the University of South Carolina in 1984.

He was America’s second black astronaut and one of seven crew members killed in the space shuttle Challenger explosion on January 28, 1986. The flight would have been his second voyage in space.

Dr. McNair’s legacy continues to be preserved through the McNair program. To commemorate his lifetime of accomplishments, the U.S. Department of Education, with funding from Congress, established the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program to encourage minority and low-income, first-generation college students to enroll in graduate studies and acquire a doctorate degree. The FIU McNair program is dedicated to assisting students in successfully completing their undergraduate degrees, teaching them leadership/ research skills, and preparing for success in graduate school programs.