Doctoral Degree Attainment From Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program Alumni: An Explanatory Embedded Case Study

Abstract

Due to structural inequity, White students, those whose parents attained a university degree, and those from upper/middle class households are more likely to attain a doctoral degree. One federal program, the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program, provides undergraduates with academic and financial support to help marginalized students enroll and succeed in graduate school. However, little research has examined how this program has helped students attain the ultimate goal of a PhD. In this explanatory, embedded case study, 12 participants described how the program provided financial, academic, and social supports from peers, faculty, and staff during their doctoral programs.

Two-Year Follow-Up of the Community College to PhD Scholars Program: Impact on Alumni’s Research and PhD Preparation

“…These before-PhD-application experiences "may lead some individuals to realize that pursuing a faculty career, and a PhD, is not the best way forward for them. Martinez, 2014;Renbarger et al, 2023;Restad, 2013;Willison & Gibson, 2011).…”

“…P7, who was accepted into the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program, said "I was definitely ahead of the curve, absolutely, because of CC2PhD. "(Throughout the results, some interviewees will mention the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship(Prenovitz et al, 2016) or McNair Scholars Program(Renbarger et al, 2023). These are highly selective upper-division research and PhD preparation programs that are available at a national network of universities.)…”

Understanding Engineering Doctoral Preparation and Socialization through McNair Scholars Program Alumni

“…The goal of this work is to discover means by which experiences that occur at or before the time of enrollment can affect the Socialization of graduate engineering students. By examining the McNair Scholars Program alumni, we hope to recommend that departments incorporate holistic changes to promote student success instead of patchwork initiatives [36]. This study will also provide insight to individuals considering graduate education by outlining many of the difficulties graduate students face and highlighting characteristics of successful and unsuccessful socialization processes.…”