Hopkins Pathways to PhD

This initiative creates innovative, well-mentored, sustainable pathways programs in non-stem fields to contribute to the excellence and diversity of  JHU PhD programs across the university. More information about this initiative and the application can be found on the links to the right.

I. Background

Johns Hopkins University was founded as the nation’s first research university.  It continues to be the home for several thousand doctoral students, across more than 60 fields of study, pursuing an independent, scholarly PhD degree.  In its ongoing commitment to excellence, JHU seeks to ensure that it is attracting the most talented and best prepared students to all of its PhD programs.  One strategy for doing so is to create “pathways programs”.  Pathways programs can identify highly curious, creative, and motivated students, can excite them to continue their education at the graduate level, can connect them with JHU faculty in fields of interest, and can contribute to their readiness for the graduate student application process and graduate level research and scholarship.    While slots in pathways programs in STEM fields at Johns Hopkins are included as part of the Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative, there has not previously been centralized support for programs providing pathways to non-STEM PhD fields.  The Hopkins Pathways to PhD Programs initiative is designed to address that gap. 

II. The Opportunity

To further the identification, excitement, network building, and experience of students from backgrounds underrepresented in non-STEM graduate academic programs, Johns Hopkins University is making funds available, on a competitive basis, to create attractive, impactful, engaging, and sustainable summer and post-bac programs in non-STEM academic fields.  

• Funding may be used to support summer programs, post-bac programs, or programs that provide a combination of these types of training. 
• Post-bac programs may be coupled with the awarding of a master’s degree in a relevant field, or they may be standalone training and/or research experiences. 
• Programs should be designed to expose, prepare, engage, and excite students toward consideration of the PhD degree as a foundational orientation of the pathways program.  
• We expect that programs generally will be designed to prepare students for a “family” of related PhD programs, but with justification may be related to a single PhD program area. 
• Non-STEM is defined here as any PhD program area that is not included under the Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative.