Office of Diversity and Inclusion
A diverse graduate student body brings benefit to our entire campus, and this is true on the graduate as well as the undergraduate level. The graduate programs of the University of Kentucky invite applicants from all backgrounds, and want to ensure that all enrolled students find a welcoming community on our campus and in our city.
In addition to recruitment initiatives and scholarships focused on diversity, with a goal that our campus demographics will mirror those of our state as well as national benchmarks, the Graduate School is committed to supporting individual students and programs by connecting them to all available resources, and working with them to support their success.
Underrepresented Minority Graduate Scholars Mentoring Program
The URM Program was designed to provide students who receive minority fellowships with a mentor. The program was launched in Fall 2016 and will continue to grow and improve. The mentees are graduate students who receive the Lyman T. Johnson Fellowship or the Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering Fellowship. The mentors are professors throughout the university who willingly volunteered to participate in the program.
UK Graduate Diversity Advisory Council
UK’s Graduate Diversity Advisory Council, with representation from an array of colleges, shares best practices for attracting diverse students and ensuring an environment that supports and nurtures their success as UK students.
National Name Exchange
The University of Kentucky participates in the National Name Exchange, allowing us to connect proactively with students whose interests are a good match for our programs, and to underscore the opportunities we offer to diverse students.
National GEM Consortium
The University of Kentucky is a member of the National GEM Consortium, a network of leading corporations, government laboratories, top universities, and top research institutions that enables qualified students from underrepresented communities to pursue graduate education in applied science and engineering.