October 28, 2021
Students applying to Wheaton College can also apply for the highly selective Aequitas Fellows program as part of the admissions application.
Wheaton College announces the expansion of the selective Aequitas Fellows Program, a four-year experiential learning certificate that accepts outstanding students who have superb academic records, demonstrated leadership abilities, and a strong commitment to their Christian faith. Aequitas scholars are admitted into a particular fellowship cohort and receive an annual renewable academic scholarship totaling $20,000. Fellows will also receive additional funding to support a summer learning experience ranging from studying internationally to internships and research projects. (Note: The $20,000 scholarship may include other Wheaton academic awards, and the sum of all Wheaton-funded grants and scholarships may not exceed the cost of tuition.)
“We are so excited about the expansion of the Aequitas Fellows Program,” said Wheaton College Dean of Social Sciences and Education Dr. Bryan McGraw, who also directs the program. “Aequitas offers cohorts of students a chance to dig deeply into some of our society’s most pressing issues in the company of top-notch faculty and come away with the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind they’ll need to flourish in whatever they are called to do in life after graduation.”
Aequitas first launched in 2017, accepting highly engaged undergraduates into an Urban Leadership-themed cohort. Drawing on the success of the Urban Leadership cohort, the College decided to expand the program. In the Fall of 2022, Wheaton will accept students into two additional cohorts—Sustainability and Public Humanities and Arts—adding cohorts for Global Public Health and Politics, Philosophy, and Economics in the Fall of 2023.
Students will apply to participate in a cohort as part of their Wheaton College admissions application. Each cohort’s certificate program offers students an opportunity to combine a series of common courses, reading and discussion groups, study abroad experiences, and capstone projects all centered around one of the themes.
Over the course of their participation in the Aequitas cohorts, students will build strong relationships with one another while also developing substantive knowledge about a distinct area of inquiry integrated with the best of Christian ethical reflection and practical experiences and skills designed to encourage lifelong learning and leadership.
“By fostering those distinctive virtues and characteristics which we aim to cultivate in our undergraduates, Aequitas will connect Wheaton's pedagogical excellence with curricular programming in shared inquiry, experiential education, and place-based immersion,” said Wheaton College Provost Dr. Karen An-Hwei Lee.
One of the distinct markers of the Aequitas Fellows Program is that it’s entirely complementary to most any major on campus. For example, an English Writing major who might have an interest in environmental and sustainability issues could apply for the Sustainability cohort for an opportunity to pursue those interests alongside their chosen major.
“The Aequitas Fellows Program offers the best of a Christian liberal arts education: excellent classroom teaching, co-curricular experiences that span the globe, and a community of Christian scholars and students committed to a life of serious inquiry, leadership, and service to others,” McGraw said.
--Emily Bratcher