Diversity Fellowship

About our commitment to diversity

As a Catholic, Jesuit University, Marquette recognizes and cherishes the dignity of each individual. We are committed to this by encouraging the diversity of our faculty, student body, and staff, and by nurturing an atmosphere in which differences can be appreciated, enhancing the Marquette experience and providing for an opportunity for positive growth as we learn from those differences.

Marquette University Graduate School Diversity Fellowships

The Graduate School has established a limited number of Diversity Fellowships to assist qualified graduate students to attend Marquette. These are merit-based fellowships and are designed to recruit and support students who, through their very presence on campus and their participation in academic and campus life, will enrich the experiences of all faculty, staff and students.

  • Benefits
  • Eligibility
  • Application and Nomination Process

The funding package for these Fellowships includes:

  • A full tuition scholarship,

  • A $20,400 stipend

These fellowships are for new students and will be awarded at the time of admission. As long as satisfactory academic progress is made, in accordance with our policy for merit-based aid, the awards can be renewed for a total of two years for students in master’s programs, or for a total of four years for recipients in doctoral programs.

To be eligible for one of the Diversity Fellowships, students must:

  • Be a U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident, DACA recipient, or non-visa holder,
  • Plan to be enrolled as a full-time graduate student in a Marquette University degree program, and

Meet any of the diversity criteria below:

  • Be a member of a historically underrepresented group in higher education (African-American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Asian-American, or Hispanic-American)
  • Be a first-generation college student, and/or
  • Have a history of overcoming a significant disadvantage.

Application process for students

The following steps must be completed by February 15. Applicants for admission who want to be considered for the Diversity Fellowship must:

  1. Check the box on the application for admission that indicates that the student is interested in competing for The Diversity Fellowship.

  2. Write and upload an essay of no more than 500 words stating HOW:

  • The applicant is eligible for the Diversity Fellowship, based on eligibility criteria

  • Their presence on campus will enhance the richness of the Marquette experience, citing specific examples

  • They intend to use their Marquette experience to benefit others, citing specific examples


Nomination process for departments

Each department may nominate one student per degree-level. For example, if your department offers one doctoral and one master’s degree, you may nominate a maximum of two students (1 doctoral-level and one master’s level). If your department offers several master’s degrees, you may still nominate only one master’s-level student.

Nominations from departments must include:

  1. A one-page letter of nomination from the department director of graduate studies
  2. The applicant’s 500 word essay

Important Dates and Deadlines

Last day of February - Nominations from the departments must be submitted to the Graduate School. Nominations will be reviewed by a committee formed by The Graduate School. The committee will make award recommendations to the Dean of the Graduate School, who will make the final award decisions.

March 15- Award recipients will be notified

April 15- Recipients must accept or decline the award no later than this date.

Number of awards/availability schedule

At least one new master’s award will be made each year, and one new doctoral award will be made as funds become available.

Academic Year
New Master's Award
New Doctoral Award
2020-21 1 1
2021-22 1 1
2022-23 1 2
2023-24 1 1
2024-25 1 1

The program may be expanded in future years if funds become available. Questions can be directed to Thomas Marek.