The Graduate School is committed to the recruitment and retention of students who reflect the diversity of the local and global communities it serves. The Graduate School works with our graduate programs and with the Office of Graduate and Professional Enrollment Management to sponsor and participate in various national networks, recruitment events, conferences, and associations that foster diversity and inclusion at the graduate level.

These initiatives include...

• Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)
• McNair Scholars Programs - The Graduate School would love to host your McNair group for a campus visit! Please contact our Graduate and Professional Enrollment Management Staff.

Diversifying Higher Education in Illinois Fellowship

For new and continuing PhD students, Loyola University Chicago participates in the Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois (DFI) fellowship program. The goal of the DFI program is to support graduate work of under-represented minorities who are residents of Illinois in order to increase the number of minority full-time tenure track faculty and staff at Illinois’ two-year and four-year, public and private colleges and universities.   

Please note DFI stipend amounts will vary based on pursued degree type. 

Completed applications for the 2022-2023 academic years are due to The Graduate School no later than midnight March 1, 2024.

For eligibility and application information, as well as application materials, please see the DFI 2024-2025 Application & Instructions.

Samuel A. Attoh Graduate Diversity Fellowship

Created in honor of Samuel A. Attoh, former Dean of The Graduate School, these fellowships are awarded to incoming graduate students nominated by their department. The fellowship provides stipend and scholarship support over nine months and a $500 annual professional development stipend. It is renewable as long as the recipient remains in good academic standing for up to 5 years for PhD students and up to 2 years for master's degree students. Awardees are expected to engage in the graduate community and are strongly encouraged to participate in initiatives and programs enhancing diversity and inclusion on and off campus. Contact your Graduate Program Director for more information on nominations for this award. In order to be eligible for this award nominees must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents or current Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status from non-majority identities that are under-represented at Loyola University Chicago, and must have submitted a complete application for graduate admission to Loyola University Chicago by the date of their nomination.

Preparing Your Career

Information on professional development resources, including workshops hosted by The Graduate School for students interested in academic careers and non-academic careers, can be found on The Graduate School's Professional Development page.

National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity

Loyola has a membership to the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, which is a treasure trove of useful information and support for those seeking to make a career in the academy. Simply click join and pick Loyola University Chicago from the list of member institutions to get started.

The Graduate School welcomes students who have DACA status, are undocumented, or have undocumented family members to our diverse educational community. Loyola's undocumented student support initiative is led by the Dreamer Committee of Loyola University Chicago. The name of this working group, Dreamer Committee, is to convey the commitment to Undocumented students at Loyola who inspire, strive for more, and achieve excellence.

More information can be found at:

• The Dreamer Committee of Loyola
• Resources for Dreamers
• Share the DREAM - Undocumented Student Ally Training

Tuition awards are available for qualified undocumented students and competitive program assistantships are available for qualified DACA-eligible students. Contact The Graduate School for more information.

Student Groups

The Graduate School fosters an inclusive and welcoming environment for all of our students. We encourage graduate students to engage with and benefit from the wide range of opportunities offered for diversity programming, professional development, academic support, and cultural and social engagement offered by student groups.

Loyola offers over 400 undergraduate and graduate student organizations for students’ academic, service, and social interests. These include many groups based around culture and diversity, such as the Black Cultural Center, PRISM and Women in Science and Math. You can find a comprehensive list of Loyola’s official student groups here and also note the following:

• Black Graduate Student Alliance (BGSA)
• Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE)

Community Groups & Resources

• Q-Grads is an initiative aimed to connect our graduate, professional, and adult students to the LGBTQIA resources provided by SDMA and Loyola.
• The Office of Graduate, Professional, and Adult Student Life (GPASL) hosts a variety of community events aimed at sparking dialogue, nurturing a positive campus climate, and connecting graduate, professional, and adult students around issues of diversity, access, and inclusiveness.
• The Department of Student Diversity & Multicultural Affairs (SDMA) in the Office of Student Development fosters the success and community building of historically under-represented student populations through mentorship, multicultural education, academic support, and celebration of our unique shared experiences.