Sonoma State University
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Ready To Apply To The McNair Scholars Program?

Become a McNair Scholar!  Prepare for Graduate School. Lead Through Research.

The McNair Scholars Program supports a competitive cohort of 27 Sonoma State undergraduate students each year.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until all spaces are filled. There is currently no formal deadline, but students are encouraged to apply early.

Strong applicants typically have:

At least 60 completed semester units

A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA

A clear interest in graduate study, research, and earning a master’s degree and/or Ph.D.

In addition, students must also meet family educational background and income status requirements. If you have not yet reached junior standing, you are still encouraged to contact us so we can help you prepare for a future application. Please note: Students pursuing a professional degree such as a nursing degree, J.D., M.D., MBA, etc., are not eligible to participate in the McNair Scholars Program.

Contact Dr. Daniel Malpica at: [email protected] for more information. To apply right away please review the checklist of requirements down below and then follow each of the steps to submit your application. 

 

Before You Apply:

Please be sure to have the following ready before you apply: 

  • Income information based on your dependent or independent student status (please have either your parents/guardian or your personal tax returns).
  • Unofficial or Official Transcripts
  • Faculty Recommendation Letter (Please note: the faculty who prepares a letter of recommendation for you is not necessarily the same person as your faculty mentor who you will be conducting research with you as part of your participation as a McNair scholar).
  • Two essays that explain your goals and motivation for being a McNair scholar. Please prepare your responses to the following prompts in separate documents (500–1000 words each). You will have an opportunity to upload these into the application.
  1. Essay #1: Explain your reasons for pursuing a graduate degree. If selected to be a McNair Scholar, what research topic(s) would you be interested in researching, and how is this research related to your educational/career goals? How will the McNair Scholars Program assist you in making your educational/career goals possible? Please specify your projected timetable for obtaining the Ph.D.
  2. Essay #2: Tell us your story (your family background, journey to college, challenges you have faced and overcome, etc.). How has your personal background prepared you for the rigors of the McNair Scholars program as well as graduate-level study? Please name your files consistently using the following naming convention: Last Name_First Name_Title of Document (e.g., Malpica_Daniel_Application, Malpica_Daniel_Essay 1).

 

TO APPLY 

You must click to submit your response to each of the following numbered steps to complete your application and to be accepted into the program:

1.Apply Now

2. Income Verification choose only one of these income forms: 

Verification form For Dependent Students or Verification For Independent Students 

Not sure if you are a Dependent or Independent Student? Please refer to Income Verification Definitions and Privacy Policy (PDF) for more information.

3. McNair Faculty Recommendation 

Please contact Dr. Daniel Malpica if you need assistance identifying a faculty mentor at [email protected].

 

Program Requirements

Once you are accepted into the program all McNair scholars at Sonoma State University must:

  • Attend regularly scheduled weekly workshops.
  • Meet individually with McNair program advisors for assistance with graduate school applications on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
  • Meet all program deadlines, including the submission of three (3) Research Report Forms detailing the progress of your McNair research project.
  • Make consistent progress on a research project each year in the program.
    This research project will be tailored to the participant’s graduate school interests/goals and developed with the guidance of an SSU faculty member after the participant is accepted into the McNair Scholars program.
  • Present McNair Scholars' research at SSU’s annual research symposia.
  • Submit a scholarly research article under the guidance of a Faculty Mentor each academic year, which will be published in the annual McNair Scholars Research Journal.
  • Earn and maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 by the beginning of the fall semester of the graduating senior year.