Eligibility

Students who apply should be seriously considering graduate study and attaining a Ph.D.  We welcome applications from minority students and others with a demonstrated commitment to eradicating racial and ethnic inequalities, both in the Academy and in society in general.

Those applying must either be sophomores, transfer students with two years remaining, or a junior intending to spend an extra year completing their degree (with legitimate reason for doing so). Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.3, with the intention of raising it to a 3.5 within the first semester of the program (after which a 3.5 GPA must be maintained throughout the duration of the program).

Interested students must be majoring in one of the following Mellon-designated fields:  

• Anthropology
• Area/Cultural/Ethnic/Gender Studies
• Art History
• Classics
• Geography and Population Studies
• English 
• Film, Cinema and Media Studies (theoretical focus)
• Foreign Languages and Literatures
• History
• Linguistics
• Literature
• Musicology, Ethnomusicology and Music Theory
• Performance Studies (theoretical focus)
• Philosophy
• Political Theory
• Religion and Theology
• Sociology
• Theater (theoretical focus)

The Selection Process

Each year in November and March students are invited to attend an open-house, where they meet current fellows and faculty mentors. Here, students are provided with information on the key components of the fellowship, as well as the specifics of the application process. The Mellon Selection/Advisory Committee reads the applications and qualified students are invited for interviews. Selected fellows attend a six-week summer immersion program at Wesleyan University.