Opportunities for Underrepresented Students

Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program:

“A six-week summer program designed to provide undergraduate students with a deeper appreciation of current issues and trends in international affairs, a greater understanding of career opportunities in international affairs, and the enhanced knowledge and skills to pursue such careers. The Program usually selects participants (known as “Rangel Scholars”) each year from universities throughout the United States. This program encourages the application of members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, women, and those with financial need. Students live at Howard University, attend classes, and participate in a variety of programs with foreign affairs professionals at Howard and at diverse locations around Washington, DC.” [The Rangel Program]

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program:

“This fellowship introduces undergraduate students to the rewards and demands of a research-oriented career in law and/or social science, as well as to provide guidance about the many career options under the umbrella of the legal profession. Each Fellow will be assigned an ABF [American Bar Foundation] Research Professor who will involve the Fellow in his or her research project and act as a mentor during the Fellow’s tenure. In previous years, fellows have supported faculty members’ work by conducting archival research, creating literature reviews about minority groups in the legal profession, and coding qualitative data collected from interviews and newspaper reports.” [ABF]

Moore Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (MURAP):

“A paid summer fellowship designed to foster the entrance of talented students from diverse backgrounds within the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts into Ph.D. programs and faculty positions in U.S. colleges and universities… MURAP aims to achieve its mission by identifying and supporting students of great promise and helping them to become scholars of the highest distinction. Each summer, the program brings a cohort of 20 undergraduates (rising juniors and seniors) from colleges and universities in the U.S. to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus for an intensive, ten-week research and graduate school professional development experience.” [MURAP]

Ralph Bunche Summer Institute (RBSI):

“An annual five-week program designed to introduce undergraduate students from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups or students interested in broadening participation in political science and pursuing scholarship on issues affecting under-represented groups to the world of graduate study and to encourage application to Ph.D. programs.” [APSA]

Minority Student Recruitment Program (MSRP):

“In collaboration with undergraduate and graduate political science departments, the program identifies undergraduate students from under-represented backgrounds who show potential for or are interested in doctoral study, and shares this recruitment information with APSA member graduate departments that enroll in the program… These undergraduates can be identified by their departments, by their advisors, or submit their own names for the database. The database is updated periodically and made available to the nation’s top graduate political science programs who are enrolled in the program for their annual recruitment of doctoral students.” [APSA]

Minority Fellowship Program (MFP):

“The Minority Fellows Program (MFP) is a fellowship competition for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds applying to or in the early stages of doctoral programs in political science. The MFP was established in 1969 (originally as the Black Graduate Fellowship) to increase the number of minority scholars in the discipline.” [APSA]

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Law School:

“Minority groups have been historically underrepresented in the legal profession. Both law school and the profession do not currently reflect the vibrant and expanding racial and ethnic population of our society. Law schools seek qualified African American, Latino, Asian, and Native American students, as well as other students of color, to enrich the learning process for all students.” [LSAC]

Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute:

The PPIA Junior Summer Institute (JSI) Fellowship program is a rigorous academic graduate-level preparation program for undergraduate juniors committed to public service careers. The program was started to address the lack of diversity across the spectrum of professional public service, including government, nonprofits, public policy institutions, and international organizations. The purpose of the JSI Fellowship is to prepare students to obtain a Master’s or joint degree, in public policy, public administration, international affairs, or a related field.