Our Mission

The purpose of the McNair Program is to increase the attainment of Ph.D. degrees by students from underrepresented segments of society.  The mission of Truman's program is to ensure that participants attain their undergraduate degrees on time, encourage them to enroll in graduate programs and then track their progress through to the successful completion of the Ph.D.  The Program will achieve its mission by providing opportunities for high quality research and other scholarly activities, academic counseling, mentoring, tutoring, seminars and other educational activities designed to prepare students for doctoral study, and assistance with graduate school admission and funding opportunities.  Truman received the McNair grant in 1992 and has since operated an exemplary program.

McNair Program Objectives

Objective 1: Participants will complete research and scholarly activities each year that will directly impact their educational progression.
Objective 2: Participants will attain a baccalaureate degree within three years of entry into the program.
Objective 3: Participants will enroll in a graduate program by the fall term immediately following completion of the baccalaureate degree.
Objective 4: Participants will attain a doctoral degree within 10 years of the attainment of the baccalaureate degree.

Benefits

• One-on-one academic counseling and support
• Faculty mentoring and tutoring
• Paid summer research internships
• Opportunities to present research at professional conferences
• Free GRE preparation
• Paid graduate school visits across the U.S.
• Numerous seminars to prepare students for doctoral study
• One-on-one assistance with graduate program selection and applications