Overview

The Horizon Fellows Program (formerly known as the Pre-Doctoral Program) is designed to increase access to promising graduate students. Horizon Fellows are regularly admitted graduate students who would benefit from an extra year of academic training. As such, Horizon Fellows will be given one extra year of regular enrollment that begins with their Horizon Fellowship year. In this first year of study, Horizon Fellows work directly with a faculty adviser to design an individualized academic plan to enhance research experience, language work, or theoretical training for graduate study.

Eligibility

All applicants for regular admission in a participating department are invited to apply for consideration for the Horizon Fellows Program. 

Benefits

• Horizon Fellows receive an additional year of enrollment funded by the Horizon Fellowship. 
• The academic plan/course of study for the Horizon Fellowship year will be individually tailored to the needs and background of each student. This academic plan created by the host department and the Graduate School will outline academic and/or research expectations for the first year of study, as well as the timing of key milestones over the term of enrollment.
• Horizon Fellows are invited to participate in the Graduate Scholars Program (GSP), a cohort-based community for incoming students from diverse backgrounds designed to enhance and support academic, social, and community development during their initial graduate school experience.

How to Apply

Applications for the Horizon Fellows Program may be submitted to the following participating departments:

Within the regular admission PhD application to a participating department, applicants must select "yes" to “Are you interested in being considered for the Horizon Fellows Program?”. If you answer "yes," you will then be prompted to briefly explain why you are interested in being considered for the Horizon Fellows Program. [500 words max].

Your response can address any of the following questions:

How would you benefit from the program? What would you want to accomplish during the program? What skills would you want to enhance during the program?

Note: Your answer to these questions will have no impact on the admission process for the department to which you are applying and does not finalize enrollment in the Horizon Fellows Program.