Undergraduate Programs
UToledo undergraduates who want to become more involved in the Institute's community and to make use of the its unique opportunities are eligible to join one of the Institute's undergraduate programs. These programs are designed to sustain an interdisciplinary community that is dedicated to understanding civic life in America and beyond while working together on concrete skills.
The goal of these programs is to open new avenues of success for UT students. All three programs aim to provide the guidance, opportunities, and support students need to achieve academic and professional excellence while navigating the challenges of American civic life.
Undergraduate Fellows
The Institute Undergraduate Fellows Program is open to current and incoming UT students from any discipline. The program is designed to foster a close-knit interdisciplinary community of students and faculty mentors who seek to understand the American and broader Western tradition of civic life.
Fellows are invited to exclusive opportunities, including private events, the Institute’s social Convivium, reading groups, film showings, and the Annual Undergraduate Symposium.
Institute Scholars
Open to current and incoming UT students of any major, the Institute Scholars Program (ISP) is an integrated studies program dedicated to studying the key texts, debates, principles, institutions, and ideals of American civic life.
Institute Scholars are assigned an Institute Mentor, an Institute faculty member who meets with the student one-on-one throughout the year to guide the student to academic and professional success. Scholars receive invitations for private group discussion dinners, lunch seminars with notable guests, and other exclusive events. They will have their expenses paid to attend the Institute’s day-trip and program at the Ohio Statehouse. And Scholars will receive preference in consideration for student leadership roles in the Institute and for the Institute’s Oxford study abroad program.
Students wishing to be considered for the Institute Scholars Program must submit an application and complete an interview with the Institute’s executive director. Institute Scholars must be enrolled in at least one Institute course for each semester of the academic year. Scholars also must participate in two evening Colloquia each semester.
Each Institute Scholar will be provided free of charge with all assigned books for Institute courses in which the Scholar is enrolled. Descriptions for all of the Institute's current course offerings (including Special Topics) can be found on the "Classes Offered" page.
Civitas Scholars
Civitas is the classical Latin word for the community of citizens. More than just “the city,” civitas denotes the condition of being united with others in a civic body, exercising moral virtue out of devotion to the common good. In the classical tradition, this way of life is a preparation for the life of the mind that characterizes liberal education in the West.
In addition to the requirements for the Institute Scholars Program, Civitas Scholars complete the undergraduate Certificate in Civic Thought & Leadership. This requires that they enroll in two Institute courses each semester during the 2024-25 academic year, including CLT 3000 – The Art of Statesmanship (offered in the fall) and CLT 3010 – The Art of Rhetoric (offered in the spring).
Civitas Scholars also complete a spring oral interview in which they demonstrate mastery of questions and themes from two of the Institute courses they have taken.
Civitas Scholars receive a $1,500 scholarship for their UT tuition as well as a scholarship to attend the Institute’s ten-day summer program in Oxford.
For more information or to apply to any of these programs, email Michael Gonzalez at michael.gonzalez6@utoledo.edu.
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