Equity & Justice Scholars

The University of Pittsburgh School of Education is committed to equity and justice in education. We maintain the Equity and Justice Scholars Program to provide mentorship, resources, and leadership to doctoral-level graduate students in the School of Education.

Overview

  • Each Equity and Justice Scholar is awarded a financial package to offset the financial burdens of being a doctoral student
  • The program provides a fully funded, pre-doctoral fellowship with the following support for three years:
    • Full tuition for the fall and spring terms
    • Stipend
    • Health insurance
  • Interested applicants to our PhD program may choose to apply to this program during the admissions process on or before the December 1 deadline

Program Details

Upon being selected as an Equity and Justice Scholar, students are assigned an advisor and are expected to work on a research project and gain experience in teaching and in service. Service might include participating in or taking on leadership roles in the Council for Graduate Students in Education or taking on leadership within the school on committees that attend to equity and justice.

In their first year, Equity and Justice Scholars are expected to contribute the following: initiating research or research-related activities, establishing a strong academic record, setting an agenda for study and professional growth, contributing to the equity and justice community, and preparing for advisor-directed teaching or supervisory experiences.

In their second and third years, Equity and Justice Scholars are expected to teach or assist senior faculty with teaching or supervisory activities, as well as address their planned research activities.

Guidelines

  • The online application for a doctoral program includes a field that can be selected to express your interest in participating
  • In February, the admissions committee will provide applicants with additional information regarding the essay

More Information

If interested in joining the Equity and Justice Scholars Program or nominating an applicant for a fellowship, contact the Pitt Education Office of the Dean for more information.

Available Fellowships

The purpose of the Dean’s Scholars is to help provide academic and financial foundations for exceptional students and to support equity within the School of Education. The scholars come from a wide variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and are selected on a departmental and program basis. Once awarded, the scholars receive three years of funding to support academic year tuition and living expenses.

After being awarded with the honor, each scholar is assigned to a mentor and is expected to work on a research project and gain experience in teaching and service, such as participating in school events, joining as an executive on the Council of Graduate Studies in Education (CGSE), or working on committees.

The K. Leroy Irvis Diversity Fellowship program provides financial support and academic guidance. Each fellow is assigned an advisor who provides guidance and opportunities to engage in research, teaching, and professional development. The candidates can come from a wide variety of backgrounds, with the only requirements being that students are U.S. citizens (or have green cards) and are in a PhD program.

The first year is devoted to planning, initiating research or research-related activities, establishing a strong academic record, setting an agenda for study and professional growth, and preparing for the mentor-directed teaching or supervisory experiences. The second and third years of the fellowship are spent teaching or assisting senior faculty with teaching or supervisory activities and in addressing the planned research activities.

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