The use of undergraduate research experiential programs for promoting the path to advanced degrees

At New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), undergraduate research is an integral part of the curriculum. Two other research programs are available and in some cases grant curriculum credit. These programs, The Undergraduate Research Experience (URE) and the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program are designed to recruit qualified students from underrepresented groups and introduce them to research. The URE Program, which was initiated in 1990, has graduated 140 students, of whom, approximately 90 per cent have gone on for advanced degrees. The NJIT Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program, which was developed in 1999, seeks to recruit juniors and seniors from underrepresented groups majoring in Science, Engineering and Mathematics (SEM). The goal is to foster a desire to obtain a Ph.D. degree and enter the field of higher education. Since its inception, twenty-two students have been in the program with eight graduating and enrolling in Graduate School.