McNair Scholars Program

Wichita State University is proud to host the prestigious Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program, a federal TRIO Program 100% funded by the U.S. Department of Education. This project, also known as the McNair Scholars Program, was established in 1986 by the U.S. Department of Education. The Program identifies and prepares 28 eligible WSU students for graduate studies leading to the Ph.D. by providing research training and early scholarly experiences to high-achieving undergraduates. These experiences give students opportunities to define goals and develop critical skills needed for success at the doctoral level. The Program is named in honor of deceased NASA astronaut and Challenger space shuttle crewmember Ronald E. McNair, Ph.D.Wichita State's Program started in October 1995.

The Program offers research participation, scholarly experiences and preparation for graduate school. Students are encouraged to pursue graduate study in preparation for careers as college-level professors and researchers. To be eligible for the program, students must meet the following criteria:

• Have U.S. citizen or permanent resident status.

• Be enrolled at WSU full-time with sophomore, junior or senior standing.

• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or 3.0 in the last 60 credit hours.

• Students must meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • First generation and low income OR

  • A member of a traditionally underrepresented group in graduate education, such as African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hispanic/Latino and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.