The MU Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) provides opportunities for members of groups underrepresented in the biomedical sciences who hold a bachelor's degree to obtain independent mentored research experience and individualized professional development to prepare them to enter a Ph.D. program. MU PREP is funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.
When Dezzarae Luera and Reinier Suarez came to Mizzou for PREP, they never imagined staying to pursue their doctoral studies. Mizzou — and their mentors — changed that. (Read more)
Truman Poteat joined MU PREP from University of Illinois.
Angie Pantoja joined MU PREP from New Mexico State University.
Justine Miller joined MU PREP from Southeast Missouri State.
Kathleen Medina-Rodriguez joined MU PREP from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez.
Stella Lukusa joined MU PREP from Miami of Ohio.
Javier Diaz Laboy joined MU PREP from the University of Puerto Rico, Ponce.
Fahim Ahmad joined MU PREP from Medgar Evers College.
We are now accepting applications for entry Summer 2025.
79% of MU PREP Scholars enrolled in a PhD program. 92% Enrolled in either a graduate or professional degree program [PhD, MD/DO, DDS, MS, MPH] after MU PREP
In the past 5 years, MU PREP Scholars entered PhD programs at Alabama-Birmingham, Duke, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts-Amherst, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, University of California-Davis, University of California-Irvine, University of California-Los Angeles, Wisconsin.
90% of MU PREP Scholars who enrolled in a Ph.D. program were supported by a competitive Fel-lowship or Traineeship
91% of those enrolled in a PhD program earned their PhD degree. This is well above the 54% national PhD completion average for URM candidates and 63% national PhD completion average for all candidates.
6.4 years is the average time for MU PREP Scholars to complete their PhD. This is better than the national average of 6.9 years for all PhD candidates and 7.8 years average for URM PhD candidates