Newcomb Scholars Program

The 2025 application opens on August 5, 2025 and closes September 28, 2025 at 11:59 PM. 

To complete the application, please join Newcomb Institute on WaveSync. You will then be able to access the form. 

Apply here!

Now in its fifteenth year, the Newcomb Scholars program has always evolved to meet the moment. From its genesis in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as the evolution of the historic women’s college to its embrace of students of all genders, the Scholars program attracts like-minded undergraduates who want to make an impact on the world through their research. We center gender equity in what we do, and interdisciplinarity is at our core. Newcomb Scholars alums are physicians, attorneys, artists, lobbyists, archivists, bench scientists, social media influencers, journalists, professors, and community activists, each with a commitment to making the world better for people of all identities.

Graduates are able to apply their skills and knowledge in a variety of settings, including higher education, government, not-for-profit, and private sectors. Our alums succeed beyond the campus gates, earning prestigious awards from the Fulbright to the Goldwater Scholarship, as well as placement in top graduate programs around the country and the world. On completion of the program, each student will have their own project to demonstrate their research skills and productivity, be that an honors thesis, a documentary film, a case study, or a podcast. There’s no limit on what shape your scholarship can take as you share evidence of your work with the world. These projects demonstrate to graduate schools and employers that Newcomb Scholars are competitive candidates for a variety of opportunities.   

No matter your goals for graduate school and beyond, the Newcomb Scholars experience will prepare you for success as you navigate what comes next.  

By the end of this program, Newcomb Scholars will be able to:

•    Understand feminist and gender theories and their application to knowledge production  
•    Lay out a research question or design or novel art that guides understanding and thought around a key gender equity issue
•    Independently undertake research or creation of a novel scholarly work that reflects on gender equity in a way that can contribute to discourse and action
•    Understand their field’s expectations of knowledge production and how new knowledge is shared within professional settings  
•    Effectively communicate their work, in writing and in presentation, in a way that can be grasped as meaningful in advancing thought and action for your field of focus
•    Compete effectively for jobs or graduate programs requiring or expecting academic capacity for independent creation of scholarly outputs

You will achieve this via:

•    Four semesters of seminar courses to build theory, critical thinking, writing, and presenting skills and to create an independent piece of research, technology, or art.
•    Production of an independent piece of scholarly output (research study or artistic or technological expression)
•    Professional presentation of independent work 

How do we train scholars for gender equity work?  

•    Seminars that center on building writing, research, and presentation skills within a framework that deploys a gender lens, borrowing from feminist and gender theories to research or scholarly methodologies and approaches, no matter their chosen major  
•    Experiential learning opportunities including conference presentations, and publication of their own work
•    Cohort development opportunities that strengthen ties to the Newcomb Network while providing skill building in teamwork, project management, and community building 

What do the seminars look like?

First Year

INTU 1000: History and Philosophy of Higher Education: Applying A Gender Lens Across Disciplines

NTC Distribution Requirement: Textual and Historical Perspectives

As this is the first seminar, students will be introduced to gender as a category of analysis across fields. Visiting faculty from across the university, as well as invited guests, will speak to the cohort about their work and how they apply feminist and gender theories to their own research methods. Alone and in groups, they will develop skills that allow them to: 

•    Consider research production as gendered terrain
•    Develop research questions
•    Understand the difference between primary and secondary sources
•    Engage with academic resources and research librarians
•    Strengthen writing mechanics, with an emphasis on processing feedback and revision
•    Produce an individual academic research paper  

Sophomore Year

INTU 2000: Case Studies on Gender and Work (cross listed with POLC 3003)

NTC Distribution Requirement: Writing Intensive-Tier II    

Case studies are used across disciplines to create a concrete vehicle for applyingabstract theories to real world situations, and to build problem solving skills for real world examples of gender and intersectional inequalities in work (formal and informal, academic and non-academic). Cases marry learning about real world policy and organizational problems with critical thinking, abstract reasoning, and theorizing to support students’ capacities for practical problem solving that can be applied to any academic discipline. Each student will write a case linked to their field of study which engages the concepts of gender and work; the developed case study should address the dilemmas that are encountered by those leading change and demonstrate strategic thinking and problem-solving skills that can address gender inequalities in work. Opportunities for publishing developed cases will be made available.  

•    Complete CITI Training and gain IRB certification for human subjects research
•    Develop interview protocols for case creation
•    Improve academic writing through revision and peer editing
•    Produce an annotated bibliography and final case study
•    Serve as a class discussant running cases with groups
•    Develop debate skills 

Junior Year

INTU 3000: Gender and Cross-Disciplinary Research Methods

NTC Distribution Requirements: Race and Inclusion

Students engage with foundational feminist epistemologies, such as standpoint theory, situated knowledges, and intersectionality, to understand the complex relationships between gender, race, class, and other categories that shape the distribution of power in institutions and society. Qualitative and quantitative methods will be included. Students will develop skills that allow them to:  

•     Produce a research proposal that addresses the question, methods, literature review, and significance of their final individual project
•    Submit an abstract of this project to an undergraduate academic conference 

INTU 4000: Communicating Research for Impact

Academics invest significant time producing quality research, yet often that work may not make an impact beyond a small community of scholars pursuing similar topics. This course seeks to provide students with tools and tactics to bring their work to multiple audiences. At the end of this course, students will be able to:

•     Understand the publication process, from proposal to peer review to publication
•    Connect individual research output to public policy decisions through op-eds and policy briefs
•    Create a poster presentation for an academic audience that describes and explains their proposed research question, existing literature, and methods  
•    Attend academic conferences and participate in intellectual communities in a meaningful way  

What will my final project on gender equity look like?

Students must complete six credits of independent research or honors thesis credit in their home department their senior year. Approval of the project is at the discretion of their home department.

Senior students must present their research at the Newcomb Scholars symposium in the spring, a culminating experience that leverages all of the academic research, writing, and communications skills they have learned throughout the program. 

How do cohort development opportunities build my research skills? 

•     First-year retreat in New Orleans sets personal goals and creates accountability partners.
•    Senior writing retreat held in Gulf Shores in January provides the final push to complete independent research project requirements
•    Group travel provides a safe opportunity for students to have new experiences. International opportunities are in the works that will expose students to international academic communities.
•    Events offer networking opportunities and possibilities to engage with feminist thought leaders around the country and the globe
•    Builds an ongoing alum network that fosters opportunities that last long beyond graduation