A Step-to-the-Doctorate Institute: Profile of a Bridge Program

Abstract

The transition from an undergraduate degree to a graduate program represents a critical juncture in the academic pathway, particularly for students pursuing advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This transition is often characterized by systemic barriers for underrepresented groups, who face challenges such as limited access to resources, a lack of mentorship, and financial constraints. To bridge this gap, A Step to the Doctorate Institute (S2D) was founded in 2020 by Dr. Tremayne Waller and Dr. Karis Cotton. A Step-to-the-Doctorate (S2D)—an undergraduate-to-graduate bridge program—is a transdisciplinary initiative hosted by the Center for Engineering Excellence and Discovery (CEED) within the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech. S2D is an engineering-focused program designed to encourage, motivate, support, guide, and accelerate the progression of talented STEAM undergraduate students into master’s and doctoral programs. This report provides a detailed, evidence-based performance review of S2D from 2020 through 2026, examining cohort growth patterns, undergraduate pipeline diversity, and the graduate school transition successes of its alumni. Key Programmatic Achievements: S2D has achieved exceptional outcomes since its inception, establishing itself as a vital conduit for engineering graduate education. The program’s accomplishments are summarized in five core areas: ▪ Enrollment and Growth (2020–2026): The program’s annual enrollment scaled dramatically from 11 participants in 2020 to a peak of 61 participants in 2025, with a total of 223 scholars. ▪ Expanding the Scope: Initially, S2D started with only engineering major students. However, the program now has evolved into a multidisciplinary initiative with over 12% of participants from non-engineering fields such as life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. ▪ Institutional Pipeline: S2D has recruited undergrads from 41 institutions. While Virginia Tech remains the primary pipeline (with 148 participants), the program maintains deep partnerships with historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), minority serving institutions (MSI), and national student organizations, making the graduate pipeline more representative. ▪ Graduate School Conversion (2020–2025 Cohorts): Among the 167 participants who have completed the program, 78 (47%) have matriculated into graduate school. Of these, 54 (32%) are pursuing, or have already completed, Master’s degrees, and 24 (14%) have transitioned into PhD programs. Out of these 78 students, 41 (or 53%) have joined Virginia Tech graduate school. Notably, First-Generation participants achieved a 40% graduate school transition rate, outperforming non-first-generation peers (35%). ▪ Publications, Conferences, Research Grants: Systematic collection and analysis of data on the S2D participants and their achievements have resulted in four publications, several conference presentations, and award of five research grants to the S2D team.