The Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholars Program at NYU

On this Page: Program Information | Program Values | Program Evolution | Contact Us

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"Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in." - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (March for Integrated Schools, April 18, 1959)

NYU's Martin Luther King Jr. Scholars Program is a selective, all-university, honors leadership program dedicated to furthering Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy and global vision of “Beloved Community.” MLK Scholars seek to be bridge builders and inclusive leaders, committed to building community, through scholarship, research, service and global experiences. Centered on the tenets of Dr. King’s philosophy of peace and nonviolence, the program is designed to cultivate critical inquiry, cross-cultural competencies, and civic responsibility through dialogue, seminars, and experiential opportunities that empower scholars to work toward fulfilling Dr. King’s dream.

With a renewable scholarship for up to 8 terms (not including summer or January) of undergraduate study, the program offers an immersive, cohort-based learning community, which includes required and optional programs and opportunities, including:

Seminars, programs and cohort meetings*
Community service engagements*
Cohort global and domestic travel experiences
Opportunities to apply for funding to support related research, unpaid internships, and study away.

*These programs are required

Program Information

Program Eligibility

Incoming first-year students applying to the New York City campus are eligible to apply to this program through the Common Application. Acceptance to the MLK Scholars Program is selective. Students who are academically accomplished and have a demonstrated commitment to civic engagement, community building, research, and scholarship centered on social impact thrive in this program. As a distinctive community of scholars, the MLK Scholars Program has developed some of NYU's best and brightest thought leaders for more than 35 years. Learn more about our admissions process and how to apply.

Experiential Learning

Experiential learning is an integral part of the MLK Scholars Program, providing opportunities for scholars to participate in community service, internships, and domestic and global experiences. Scholars are also encouraged to pursue scholarly research focused on broader social, political, historical, and contemporary matters. Learn more about the full MLK Scholar Student Experience.

Funding Opportunities

To be reviewed for the Martin Luther King Scholarship, applicants must apply for financial aid by the deadline applicable to their intended start term and demonstrate financial need. In addition to the Martin Luther King Scholarship, scholars are invited to take advantage of the many resources available during their undergraduate experience. Students in good standing with the program are eligible to apply for funding to support scholarly research, unpaid internships, and study away activities. In addition, a limited number of student employment positions within the MLK program are available each year. Learn more about MLK Funding Opportunities.

Programs and Events

From cohort meetings to seminars and events, there are year-round opportunities for MLK Scholars to connect and engage in discourse with one another and the wider community. Throughout the duration of their studies, scholars are provided the opportunity to engage with University leaders, distinguished faculty, other scholar programs, and MLK program alumni across an array of disciplines and interests. We take pride in providing students experiential learning opportunities with external organizations throughout New York City and at global locations.

Our Values

Inspired by the wisdom and words of Dr. King.

Excellence

“… in your life’s blueprint, you must have as a basic principle the determination to achieve excellence in your various fields of endeavor.” (Philadelphia, 1967)

Our community is committed to the highest level of integrity, conduct, and academic achievement. Scholars strive for excellence in academic scholarship, experiential learning, and research pursuits.

Global leadership

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus,” (Illinois, 1967)

Through travel colloquia, co-curricular involvement, and seminars, scholars engage in reflective dialogue on global issues and intercultural ideologies. We foster students’ leadership skills and prepare them to serve as leaders in their community and the world.

Service

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'’ (Alabama, 1957)

Through Dr. King’s teachings, scholars develop an understanding of various social issues and the importance of civic engagement. They identify needs in their communities and commit to engaging in service to others.

Beloved community

“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” (Alabama, 1963)

MLK Scholars carry the spirit of the beloved community in their hearts and minds. They serve as bridge builders to find common ground by intentionally seeking opportunities to listen, promote dialogue and build relationships that transcend difference.

Our Evolution

In 1986, an all-University honors program was named in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The program was established to promote his vision of the "beloved community" and a world free of racism, poverty, violence, and war. MLK Scholars would be among the best and the brightest and would be asked to give back in the form of service to others. Today, MLK Scholars from across NYU’s undergraduate schools hail locally and globally, and are unified through a commitment to leading across difference to make an impact.

Contact Us

The Academic Resource Center

18 Washington Pl
New York, NY, 10003

Email

NYU_MLKScholars@nyu.edu