Student Funding Opportunities
FIU offers several fellowships for students from underrepresented minority groups. Fellowships are accompanied by increased stipends and professional development opportunities. Eligible prospective students are encouraged to apply via the University Graduate School: Fellowships.
- McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program to address under-representation of African-American and Hispanic faculty at colleges and universities in the state of Florida by increasing the pool of citizens qualified with PhD degrees
- FIU McNair Graduate Fellowship to encourage promising undergraduate McNair Scholars to pursue their graduate education at FIU ($23,000/year)
- Delores Auzenne Fellowship (see University Graduate School: Fellowships) to increase the matriculation of minority graduate students who are enrolled in disciplines where there is under-representation
Training Opportunities
There are many national training opportunities for eligible prospective students:
- Summer Institute: Community-Based Participatory Research Institute for Health: Indigenous and Critical Methodologies - University of New Mexico
- Minority Fellowship Program Psychology Summer Institute - American Psychological Association
- Advanced Training Institute: Research Methods with Diverse Racial and Ethnic Groups - American Psychological Association/Michigan State University
- Millennium Scholars Program - Society for Research in Child Development
Organizations & Resources
Many student groups, offices and other resources support students.
- Black Graduate Women’s Association
- Disability Resource Center
- Faith-based groups
- LGBTQA Groups and Initiatives
- Mental Health Resources
- Multicultural Programs and Services
- Office of International Student and Scholar Services
- Student Health Services and the Wellness Center
- Student Organizations including cultural groups such as Global Indigenous Group, Caribbean Students Association)
- Women, Sexuality, and Gender Studies Association
Philosophy & Demographics
FIU’s “Worlds Ahead” philosophy suggests diversity fosters critical thinking and encourages a dynamic intellectual community, and reflects deep commitment to promoting “inclusiveness and engagement in a global dialogue that anchors our role as leaders in graduate education. We value respect for the complexities of our global society as it relates to gender, socioeconomic class, race, ethnicity, age, disability, nationality, sexual orientation, religion, and cultural identity.” The Office of Equal Opportunity Programs and Diversity communicates this commitment to inclusivity by conducting trainings in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission policies, Affirmative Action legislation, Americans with Disabilities Act and amendments, sexual harassment, and diversity policies, procedures, programs and initiatives.
Our program embraces this philosophy with corresponding nondiscriminatory policies for recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty and student community in which everyone is valued for their individuality. Graduate fellowships, multicultural programs and LGBTQA services are designed to support underrepresented faculty and students in reaching their full potential in scholarly and professional endeavors. FIU is a Hispanic-majority institution, ranked No. 1 in the nation in awarding vachelor’s and master’s degrees to Latino students; No. 2 for total Hispanic graduate students; and No. 3 for MS and PhD STEM degrees awarded to Hispanic students.
Among 14 doctoral core faculty in our PhD program, 43% are women and 21% identify as minorities. Among students, 10% self-identify as a racial minority, 29% self-identify as ethnic minority and 10% self-identify as LGBTQ.
The diversity of Miami’s population and the size of Miami-Dade and Broward school districts (500,000 children) provide ample potential for research recruitment and clinical training. Our program has extensive relationships with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, primary care physicians and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, and with mental health facilities in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, affording opportunities to conduct activities not only on site but also in community, school and mental health settings across South Florida.