Find Your Program

The City University of New York supports the inclusion and educational success of underrepresented groups in higher education through a number of special programs. These programs are for students who are interested in Graduate school.

PREPARATION FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL

The CUNY Pipeline Program

CUNY Location: CUNY Graduate Center

The Pipeline Program is a CUNY-wide initiative designed to provide educational and financial support to CUNY undergraduates from groups currently underrepresented in our nation’s universities who are interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in preparation for college-level teaching and advanced research.

The Pipeline Program is a year-long program that includes several components.

• Pipeline Summer Institute
• Monthly Colloquia
• Research Project
• Research Conference

Eligibility
In order to qualify for admission into the CUNY Pipeline Program, a student must:

1. be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident;
2. have an interest in pursuing a career in college teaching and research;
3. have a minimum GPA of 3.2;
4. be scheduled to graduate in the spring of the senior (or final) year;
5. be a junior enrolled in one of CUNY’s senior colleges and have earned at least 80 credits;
6. be a full-time registered student in one of the CUNY senior colleges.

**Students majoring in law, business, or medicine are not eligible to participate in the Pipeline Program.**

Funding
Pipeline Fellows receive stipends during the course of the program totaling approximately $7,000.

• Stipend for participating in the Summer Institute
• Stipend for Graduate Record Exam (GRE) fee
• Stipend to cover graduate school application fees
• Stipend for participation in the spring research conference
• Stipend for completion of the thesis at the end of the program

Along with a stipend, the CUNY Pipeline Program provides a summer research institute at The Graduate Center which includes a 4-credit research seminar, workshops on applying to graduate school, and workshops in preparation for taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Fellows report on their research projects at the annual CUNY Pipeline Conference and submit a written thesis at the end of the year.

Deadline
Applications are completed online and are accepted from late fall to early spring for the Pipeline Cohort that starts in the summer. For more information, visit the Pipeline Program.

Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement program

CUNY Location: Hunter College and John Jay College of Criminal Justice

The Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement program is designed to encourage participants from disadvantaged backgrounds that have demonstrated strong academic potential to attain their Ph.D. Students who participate in this program are provided with research opportunities and faculty mentors.

Through a grant competition from the federal government, funds are awarded to Hunter College and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. For students who are not enrolled at a CUNY institution, check with your undergraduate institution for more information on McNair Scholars.

For more information on Hunter College’s McNair Scholars please visit their website here. For more information on John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s McNair Scholars please visit their website here.

CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN GRADUATE SCHOOL

Colin Powell Fellowship at City College of New York: Graduate

CUNY Location: City College of New York

Each year the Colin Powell School selects five graduate students from the social science graduate programs offered through the Colin Powell School (Economics, International Relations, General Psychology, Mental Health Counseling, Public Service Management, and Sociology) to participate in the Colin Powell Fellowship for a one-year period. Graduate students are encouraged to explore ways in which their developing academic expertise can be used to address urgent public problems in underserved communities. Fellows take part in weekly seminars that meet regularly throughout the year. They also take part in special events and have opportunities to hear from distinguished public figures.

Deadline
The deadline for the Fall 2018-Spring 2019 cohort is Friday, March 1, 2019 by 4:00pm. Applicants must submit both an online application and a hard copy application. Detailed instructions covering how to submit your application can be found on the first few pages of the application, see here.

National Urban Fellows

CUNY Location: The Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs

The Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs is dedicated to developing leaders from traditionally underrepresented communities across the U.S. and abroad. As a testament to that commitment, we offer a program with National Urban Fellows, Inc. (NUF). This private, nonprofit organization was founded in 1969 as a cooperative project of Yale University, the National League of Cities, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors with financial support from the Ford Foundation.

The program offers people of color and women an opportunity to earn an MPA through a combination of internships and full-time study that will prepare them for leadership positions in government and nonprofit organizations.

Each fellow is awarded full-tuition and stipend to the MPA program, and is reimbursed for travel/relocation, books, and health insurance costs.

Degree Requirements
The full-time MPA program consists of an intensive combination of internships and on-campus study beginning in June and ending a year later in mid-August. Fellows must complete 12 credits in the summer, 21 credits during the fall and spring (while working full-time with an assigned mentor), and nine credits the following summer.

To learn more, visit the National Urban Fellows website, or contact MSPIA Admissions at mspia.admissions@baruch.cuny.edu

Pipeline To Justice

CUNY Location: CUNY School of Law

Pipeline to Justice prepares underrepresented students to enter the CUNY School of Law and supports them throughout their law school career. The program offers a second chance at admission to CUNY Law to excellent, public interest-focused students whose LSAT scores seem incompatible with their achievements. This novel program, believed to be the first of its kind in the country, was launched in 2006 and demonstrates CUNY School of Law’s commitment to providing access to legal education to those from communities underrepresented in the legal profession. In its first year, the Pipeline to Justice program accounted for a 20 percent increase in students of color among the incoming class. Since that time, CUNY Law has been named the second most diverse law school in the nation for both faculty and student diversity.

Pipeline enriches the student body at CUNY Law by attracting students who have personal and professional accomplishments that resonate with CUNY Law’s mission and who are deeply motivated to excel.

How It Works

Pipeline participants are selected at the end of the admissions cycle (typically during the summer months) from among those denied admission to CUNY Law and are invited to apply to the program.

The program consists of a two-part course designed to help students better prepare for the LSAT exam and for the rigors of law school.

Part I consists of intensive, individualized preparation for the LSAT exam itself. It meets twice a week in the evenings from October to February, as well as for several all-day Saturday sessions. Students receive coaching on test anxiety, self-efficacy skills, and individualized study planning, and take several LSAT practice tests during the course.

Part II is devoted to an in-depth analytic reading and writing component. It meets twice a week from March through June. Students receive copious written and oral feedback on weekly writing assignments and are expected to revise their papers until they demonstrate graduate level writing ability.

Students who successfully complete the program are admitted to the CUNY School of Law.