Open to seniors and recent graduates of Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) as defined by the U.S. Department of Education, the Columbia HBCU Fellowship Program prepares talented, high-performing HBCU graduates to lead, innovate, drive community impact, and advance their professional industries through program engagement, mentorship, and career development opportunities.
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The vision of the Columbia HBCU Fellowship Program is to:
Advance HBCU graduates’ academic credentials while deepening their understanding of their chosen industries and empowering Fellows to be change-makers;
Build on the intellectual excellence and supportive community at the School of Professional Studies by enrolling cohorts of Columbia HBCU Fellows from diverse backgrounds who are dedicated to academic merit and community engagement;
Invest in high-touch mentorship, networking opportunities, and professional development, in order to position Columbia HBCU Fellows as competitive candidates with the ability to make lasting contributions and impact in their careers as well as their local and global communities;
Provide access to the greater Columbia University network, and create a rich alumni base committed to furthering the legacy of HBCUs and expanding the reach and impact of the Columbia HBCU Fellowship Program; and
Encourage Columbia HBCU Fellowship Program alumni to uplift, support, and mentor current and future Fellows through continued engagement, community building, and professional relationships.
To be eligible, students must meet the following qualifications.
Current HBCU senior or recent graduate (Bachelor’s degree conferral in 2025 or later)
Applying to a School of Professional Studies full-time, on-campus, Master of Science program for the Fall 2027 term
HBCU Fellowship Program Application Requirements
In 750 words or less, please write an essay detailing what inspired you to apply to the HBCU Fellowship Program.
Please address the following:
How have the people and communities around you helped shape your journey to this point?
In what ways have you served as a leader, and how would you want to strengthen those abilities?
What does civic engagement and service to others mean to you?
Reflecting on your experience at your HBCU, what core values and skills did you acquire? How do you plan to apply them to your growth at SPS and your long-term professional goals?
What would you like to gain from the HBCU Fellowship Program?
In 300 words or less, is there anything else you would like to share with the review committee? Such as:
Why are you choosing to pursue the HBCU Fellowship Program at this point in your journey?
What legacy do you hope to leave for the HBCU Fellowship Program and Columbia University?
Video must be 90 seconds or less to be considered. The prompt will be available within the application.
The Letter of Support must be from a faculty or staff member at your HBCU.
Include any and all experiences that are relevant to your HBCU Fellowship Program application.
Application Deadlines
Note: Fellowship eligibility requires submitting both a Master’s and a HBCU Fellowship application. Applying to the Master’s program by the first deadline may provide an earlier admission decision. Securing your Master’s decision early provides the clarity needed to make informed decisions when finalizing your Fellowship application.
Category
Details
Deadline
First Masters Deadline (for HBCU Fellowship Program‑Interested Applicants)
Applicants who submit their applications by this first deadline will benefit from an accelerated admissions decision for their Masters application.
Note: It is not required that you submit your HBCU Fellowship Program application by this deadline.
November 13
Final Masters & HBCU Fellowship Program Application Deadline
For applicants interested in the HBCU Fellowship Program, this is the final deadline for all Fall 2027 master's program and HBCU Fellowship Program applications.
January 7
Fellowship Benefits
Full tuition scholarship for three consecutive semesters (fall, spring, summer) in one of our eligible Master’s programs
Student housing accommodations for the 3 consecutive terms of enrollment
Semesterly stipend
Internship and mentorship opportunities with SPS corporate or sector partners
Additional developmental experiences and activities provided for cohort including community engagement and career services
Master’s Program Application Requirements
Please visit Master's Degree Admissions Page and carefully read the Application Requirements for the program you are interested in. Each program has a unique prompt for the statement of academic purpose and supplemental essay (where applicable), and other requirements, such as the need to provide standardized test scores, may also differ.
Yes. You must apply to a full-time, in-person Master of Science program at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies for the Fall 2027 term, and also submit a separate application to the HBCU Fellowship Program for the Fall 2027 term to be considered for the HBCU Fellowship Program.
No. Applying to the Master’s program by the first deadline may provide an earlier admission decision. Securing your Master’s decision early provides the clarity needed to make informed decisions when finalizing your Fellowship application.
You can check the status of each of your applications by logging into the application portal here and selecting the application you would like to check.
The Master’s application decision will be released within 6-8 weeks of you completing your application.
The HBCU Fellowship Program decisions will be released in mid-March of 2027.
There is no fee for the HBCU Fellowship Program application.
All eligible applicants to the HBCU Fellowship Program will have their Master of Science application fee waived.
You can learn about the Fellowship from current and alumni HBCU Fellows by attending our office hours and events. You can find information about those here.
Students who are awarded the HBCU Fellowship will have their housing covered by the Fellowship Program. The housing will be offered through Columbia Housing and may be on or off campus. You can explore the Columbia Housing page here. Note that Fellows should only select the fully furnished options.
Yes, SPS students lead campus tours weekly. You can find the dates and details here. If you are part of a larger group, please email us at hbcu-fellowship [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu (hbcu-fellowship[at]sps[dot]columbia[dot]edu).
To learn more about the programs offered at SPS, you can visit our website here. We will also be hosting virtual open houses with each of our Master of Science programs in October. The School of Professional Studies will be hosting an Open House on campus in October. Please check our events page for details.
Yes. It is preferable if the faculty or staff member who writes your letter of support is still affiliated with your HBCU. However, if they are no longer affiliated with the institution but were at the time of your attendance, the letter will be considered.
Yes, you may so long as they meet the requirements of a recommender for each application. Please note that if you choose to list the same person to submit a Letter of Support and Letter of Recommendation on your behalf, you will need to list them on each of your applications and they will be required to submit two forms and two separate letters (1 for each application). Please review the Masters program admissions website for more details on who qualifies as a recommender.
If you are admitted to your Master of Science program but not the HBCU Fellowship Program, and you are still eligible for the Fellowship for the following application cycle, you may request to defer your Master’s admission and reapply for the HBCU Fellowship Program the following year. Please note that deferral requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed.
The Admissions Committee reviews each application thoroughly and with great care. We do not discuss individual applicant cases or the reasons behind the decisions. All admissions decisions are final and cannot be appealed.
If you were admitted to your MS program for the Fall 2027 term (congratulations!), but decisions have not yet been released for the HBCU Fellowship Program, your enrollment deadline will be extended to April 15th, 11:59 PM ET. If you are awarded the HBCU Fellowship, and you choose to accept it, your enrollment deposit will be waived. If you are not awarded the HBCU Fellowship, then you will be expected to submit your enrollment deposit by April 15th if you would like to enroll in your MS program.
Please visit our Financial Aid and Scholarships page to explore other funding options. We strongly encourage all applicants to look into external funding opportunities alongside when applying to the HBCU Fellowship.
The Campbell Award is given to graduating students who exemplify leadership and the Columbia spirit.
Contact Us
Questions Regarding Admission
All HBCU students or alumni who meet the qualifications are welcome to apply. For more information about admission email hbcu-fellowship [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu.
Educational Institutions and Organizations Interested in Getting Involved
Please contact hbcu-fellowship [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu.
