The Institute

Training Students to Become

The Leaders of Tomorrow

The Institute at Ave Maria University is a next-generation education forming high-potential students into highly competent persons and high performers in both their personal lives and professional fields.

The modern workplace is evolving rapidly, while trust in religious, financial, civil, and educational institutions is diminishing. Moreover, higher education often takes an either-or approach, emphasizing practical skills at the expense of human formation or honing intellectual and spiritual development to the neglect of marketable professional skills.

Ave Maria University has taken a both-and approach, uniting intellectual, spiritual, personal, and professional development, as well as priming students for success.

The Institute's

Scholar Program

Scholars are AMU students selected from the top decile of students nationwide, requiring a proven record of academic and personal excellence. Scholars can also be nominated by Fellows. Entrance into the Institute is selective and rigorous to ensure students are in the best place to succeed.

Upon completion of the program, Scholars receive special regalia, digital skills-specific credentials, and lifetime membership in The Institute. In sum, they are given the formation, experience, network, and on-ramps to succeed. We want our Scholars to be at least two years ahead of their peers upon graduation.

The Institute's

Plan of Formation

EXPLORE: CORE SKILLS

YEAR 1

Semester 1 - Marketing, Business, Decorum

Semester 2 - Work, Investing, AI

Summer 1 - Essential Reading

YEAR 2

Semester 3 - Leadership, Sales, Project Management

Semester 4 - Internship Acquisition 1, Career Preparation, Communication

Summer 2 - Internship with sponsoring company or sourced from Fellow

DISCOVER: ELECTIVE SKILLS

YEAR 3

Semester 5 - Strategy, Skills Specialization 1, Skills Specialization 2

Semester 6 - Internship Acquisition 2, Skills Specialization 3, Skills Specialization

Summer 3 - Internship with sponsoring company or sourced from Fellow

YEAR 4

Semester 7 - Capstone Preparation, Service Project, Skills Specialization 5

Semester 8 - Recruitment, Skills Specialization 6, Capstone Presentation

Summer 4 - Launch into career/grad school and vocation upon graduation

Support Our Scholars Through

Partnership Opportunities

  • Program Scholarships. As a partner, your support for Scholars through $10,000 scholarships enable us to provide whole person formation and professional development relevant for both today and tomorrow.
  • Skills and Work. As a Sponsor organization, you help us identify and develop the most in-demand professional skills while also providing internships and career opportunities at graduation.
  • Support. As a Fellow, your research and teaching lay the foundational knowledge from which our Scholars are formed personally and professionally.

As an Advisor or Mentor, you directly impact our students by sharing wisdom and the real-world know-how that turn our high-potential Scholars into high performers.