Factors Associated with Applying to Graduate/professional Degrees for Students Engaged in Undergraduate Research Experiences at Minority Serving Institutions

Authors

Lourdes E. Echegoyen, The University of Texas at El Paso
Kala M. Mehta, University of California San Francisco
Karsten Hueffer, The University of Alaska Fairbanks
Jacob D. Kagey, University of Detroit Mercy
Thomas E. Keller, Portland State University
Kathleen M. Morgan, Xavier University of Louisiana
Stephen B. Aley, The University of Texas at El Paso
Chi-Ah Chun, California State University-Long Beach
Payam Sheikhattari, Morgan State University
Amy Wagler, The University of Texas at El Paso

Published In

Frontiers in Education

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-8-2025

Subjects

Social Work education

Abstract

Introduction:

This study investigates the impact of undergraduate research experiences on applications to graduate and professional programs, particularly for underrepresented minority students at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).

Methods:

The study analyzes data collected at 10 MSIs participating in the NIH BUILD program to understand the relationship between research participation (in formal programs vs. informal research), student demographics, science self-efficacy, GPA, and application to advanced degree programs.

Results:

Results indicate that undergraduate research participation, especially in formal programs for extended periods of time, positively influences applications to graduate/professional programs, with similar outcomes observed across underrepresented minority and non-minority students.Discussion

Findings indicate that organized programs in biomedical research training significantly increase the probability of students applying to graduate or professional programs when programs span more than 12 months. This has implications for the design and implementation of biomedical research training programs, especially at MSIs.

Rights

Copyright (c) 2025 The Authors

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Description

Corrected pdf. Aug. 11, 2025.

Locate the Document

https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1589105

DOI

10.3389/feduc.2025.1589105

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/43849

Publisher

Frontiers Media SA

Citation Details

Echegoyen, L. E., Mehta, K. M., Hueffer, K., Kagey, J. D., Keller, T. E., Morgan, K. M., Aley, S. B., Chun, C.-A., Sheikhattari, P., & Wagler, A. (2025). Factors associated with applying to graduate/professional degrees for students engaged in undergraduate research experiences at minority serving institutions. Frontiers in Education, 10.