Benefits
Undergraduate students accepted into the Penn State McNair Scholars Program can benefit from many services and support offerings, both during the academic year and in a summer research internship program.
The program focuses on developing students’ knowledge and skills that are needed for pursuing a Ph.D.
Academic Year Program
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Group meetings that focus on topics about preparing for graduate school, understanding the graduate school application process, personal and professional development, financial literacy, and self-care and wellness
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Monthly academic progress appointments with the McNair academic coordinator
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Mentoring
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Attendance and participation at national McNair research conferences
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Other scholarly activities (virtual or in-person)
Summer Research Internship
Penn State McNair provides an intensive eight-week summer research internship (May – July) at the University Park campus that is more rigorous than is typically available to undergraduates in a classroom setting. The internship is definite in its start and end dates, contains appropriate benchmarks for completion of various components, and is conducted under the guidance of an appropriate faculty member with experience in the relevant discipline.
Internship requirements include:
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Conducting a scholarly research project under the guidance and supervision of a Penn State faculty member
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Co-authoring a research paper
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Presenting research findings at a summer research symposium hosted by the Office of Graduate Educational Engagement Programs
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Participating in research writing seminars and professional development seminars
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Participating in all team-building activities and the internship orientation
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Participating in cultural exposure activities
Summer Research is a Full-time Commitment
Participants cannot take summer courses, hold a summer job, participate in other summer programs, or be involved in any activity that prevents with completing internship requirements.