The Experience
This program will help accomplished leaders pivot from successful careers to meaningful next chapters by focusing on intellectual enrichment, social contribution, and personal legacy, while also offering community with an exclusive network of talented, engaged peers, and a chance to give back to the next generation.
Two dedicated programs will be mounted specifically for the Distinguished Fellows cohort.
- First, a regular series under the leadership of the Faculty Director, featuring experts and leaders from across the university, sharing cutting-edge discovery and insights on big questions in research and in society. Discussion with the guest lecturers and the Faculty Director will be a critical part of the Fellows’ experience and will allow opportunities to grapple with the most essential topics of the day, and the research being conducted at Columbia, as well as occasional salon-style convenings to trigger conversation and debate. Outings to performances and talks in NYC will also be added as they are identified; in some weeks the entire cohort lecture will be inspired by one of these outings.
- Fellows will be part of a bespoke course based on the renowned Columbia Core curriculum, taught by one of Columbia’s extraordinary faculty members, Eleanor Johnson. Fellows will explore some of the most enduring and influential works of western literature, philosophy, art, and music, stretching back to classical antiquity and forward to the modern day. Rigorous, seminar-style conversations will allow Fellows to sharpen their critical thinking skills while examining the major issues shaping society today. Now, more than ever, leaders need to be prepared to look deeply to the past in order to understand and influence the future. This course will aim to do both.
Fellows will be registered as Scholars-at-Large and can take additional courses across the University with instructor’s permission and in line with Columbia policy with guidance from the program staff.
Additionally, during the course of the year there will be numerous opportunities for Fellows to intermingle with undergraduate and graduate students, whether in the classroom or via introductions and mentorship. Intergenerational learning will be a critical part of the Fellows’ experience.
Fellows will work directly with the Faculty Director and other faculty and staff associated with the program to chart their course for the year and to make connections across campus that allow them to pursue their goals. As for all students, relationships with faculty developed through coursework can arise organically and can become one of the most important sources of advising and insight, based on shared interests and the desire to learn.
The program team will maintain a calendar of events on campus and in the city that may be of interest to Fellows and their families. The formal on-campus curriculum will be complemented by informal group outings and self-governed activities.
Ready to get started? Submit your application here.
Frequently Asked Questions
All Fellows are encouraged to take the Core seminar, which grounds the cohort and defines a shared intellectual conversation, but the program honors Fellows’ sense of what will best serve their next chapter. The Faculty Director will meet with each Fellow to help them make final decisions about their pathway through the program and the year at Columbia.
The program follows Columbia's academic calendar: September through December, and January through May, with an orientation session in late summer prior to the first day of classes.
Most Columbia classes meet once or twice a week, Monday-Friday, between 8 am-9pm; Fellows’ program sessions will also meet at regular times during the week, usually in the late morning or mid-day. There will be occasional outings or sessions in the evenings, as a performance or talk is scheduled that may be of interest to the cohort.
Distinguished Fellows must be in residence in the NYC area when classes are in session (September-December; January-May). To fully embrace the program, being close to campus and activities will be important.
Fellows are responsible for finding and funding their own accommodation, but program staff can provide resources for securing lodging. University housing is currently only available to fully matriculated students in degree programs and to faculty.
Most activities will take place on Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus. Parking facilities near campus are available for a fee, and the NYC subway system and major bus lines are directly adjacent to campus.
As a year-long residential program, program costs are comparable to a year of a Columbia degree program; the 2027-2028 Distinguished Fellows program tuition is $82,500.
The fee covers tuition and program fees for the specific Distinguished Fellows courses, and any additional classes a Fellow chooses to attend or audit. Light snacks and coffee will be available in the Fellows’ lounge, and when the program coordinates outings in NYC, basic museum entry fees will be covered.
The Distinguished Fellows leadership may develop international educational travel opportunities for Fellows in the program and other Columbia affiliates; the cost of such additional programs is not included in tuition.
All Fellows will pay a one-time fee ($5,000) covering activities and food associated with the program throughout the year. These will include beer and wine along with the meals.
In its first year, the program is proud to offer two full-tuition fellowships for exceptional leaders coming from the non-profit sector. Limited financial assistance for program costs may be available for other Fellows coming from long careers in public service, government, nonprofit, or military backgrounds. Participants from these backgrounds bring highly valued perspective and talent to the cohort experience. Qualifying Fellows wishing to be considered for these forms of assistance will be able to indicate this in the application form. On a one-time basis, as we establish the program, Columbia degree-holding alumni will be offered a 10% discount on tuition if they are admitted to the inaugural cohort (2027-2028).
In the future we hope to offer additional aid. Those seeking financial assistance are encouraged to contact the Distinguished Fellows program by email.
The Distinguished Fellows program is a non-degree/ non-credit educational experience in which Fellows participate in and audit Columbia courses. Participants do not receive a Columbia degree, nor academic credit toward a degree.
Upon completion of the Distinguished Fellows program, Fellows will receive a Columbia Certificate of Completion. Distinguished Fellows who complete the program do not receive official alumni status as currently Columbia policy restricts general alumni status to those completing degree-granting programs.
All Distinguished Fellows will receive an official Columbia University ID (CUID), which grants access to most Columbia campus facilities. This includes access to all Columbia University libraries, including all periodicals, databases, and related resources. For a fee, Fellows can access the Dodge Physical Fitness Center. With their CUID, Fellows would be welcome at all events and convenings open to the Columbia community, including athletic events, plays, concerts, and public lectures. Fellows will also receive an @columbia.edu email address.
Fellows will be entering a year of being a student again and will have full access to the variety of study spaces and reading rooms across Columbia University Libraries and in the unique spaces in the University’s academic units. While Fellows will not have dedicated long-term desk space or private offices, the Distinguished Fellows program will provide dedicated touch-down space to foster informal connections and to ease access to program staff and to the campus as a whole.
While most classes and convenings will take place on the Morningside campus, New York City will serve as an extended classroom and living laboratory for Distinguished Fellows. Through curated field visits, private access to cultural institutions, and intimate roundtables with New York-based leaders across business, media, policy, and the arts, Fellows will benefit directly from the city’s extraordinary intellectual and cultural assets throughout their fellowship year.