Scholarship

McNair Scholars participate in a variety of scholarly and research activities designed to prepare them for graduate study. All of these activities serve as practice for the kinds of research activities they will engage in as graduate students. These activities also contribute to creating a competitive graduate school application for Scholars.

- Scholars choose a faculty mentor to guide them through the research process. Mentors often help with graduate school networking and serve as ambassadors to the culture of their discipline.

- Scholars take a course in research design and methodology in which they propose a project in the form of a formal written research proposal. They learn special library skills and access databases in their discipline to complete a literature review on their subject; construct an abstract; outline their objectives; design a methodology for carrying out the research; and discuss expected results based on their hypothesis.

- During the Summer Research Institute, Scholars carry out the proposed research in an eight-week fellowship, under the supervision of their Mentors. They receive three upper-level independent study credits for their work and a stipend, along with room and board for the fellowship period.

- Scholars present their research at national McNair conferences and other local conferences for undergraduates. In some cases, Scholars can publish their research along with their faculty Mentors, or independently in journals such as the UMBC Review.

Amina R. Bhatti, attending a graduate school workshop during the 2007 SRI
 

Scholarship ... Community ... Empowerment ... Legacy ... Vision ... Excellence