Columbia HBCU Fellowship Program
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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Vision
The vision of the Columbia HBCU Fellowship Program is to:
- Equip HBCU graduates with the academic and cultural competencies to navigate their respective industries while also empowering them 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.
Eligible Degree Programs
- Actuarial Science »
- Applied Analytics »
- Bioethics »
- Construction Administration »
- Enterprise Risk Management »
- Human Capital Management »
- Information and Knowledge Strategy »
- Narrative Medicine »
- Negotiation and Conflict Resolution »
- Nonprofit Management »
- Sports Management »
- Strategic Communication »
- Sustainability Management »
- Sustainability Science »
- Technology Management »
Columbia HBCU Fellowship Program Benefits
- Full tuition
- On-campus housing
- Community engagement and programming
- Stipend
- Access to 310,000+ member global Columbia alumni network
HBCU Fellowship Program Application Requirements
Qualifications
To be eligible, students must meet the following qualifications.
- Current HBCU senior or recent graduate (Bachelor’s degree requirements completed fall 2021 or later)
- Applying to a School of Professional Studies full-time Master of Science program for the fall 2023 term
HBCU Fellowship Program Application
- Short essay responses
- Video responses
- Letter of support
- Resume
*Nomination is not required to be considered for the HBCU Fellowship Program for the fall 2023 term.*
Application Timeline
- Master of Science (M.S.) application due December 2nd
- HBCU Fellowship Program application due December 9th

Master’s Program Application Requirements
Please visit the website for your program of choice and carefully read the Application Requirements for the program. 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.
Contact Us
Questions Regarding Admission
All HBCU students are welcome to apply. For more information about admission, please schedule an appointment with Kelsey Espada, Admissions Counselor or Naima d'Ennery Dejoie, Admissions Specialist, or email hbcu-fellowship [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu.
Educational Institutions and Organizations Interested in Getting Involved
Please contact Imani T. McDonald, Executive Assistant, Office of the Dean at hbcu-fellowship [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu.
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