University of Mary Announces Graduate Scholarship Partnerships Supporting the Church’s Apostolic Mission

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Oct 19, 2026

Four Catholic organizations partner with Mary to make graduate education more accessible to professionals, missionaries, staff members, and alumni.

BISMARCK, ND — The University of Mary announced graduate scholarship partnerships with Young Catholic Professionals, Christ in the City, NET Ministries, and FOCUS, offering eligible members of their communities up to $7,000 toward select graduate degrees and placing the university’s educational resources at the service of the Church’s apostolic mission.

The partnerships reflect a conviction at the heart of the University of Mary: the university exists to serve the Church, and it carries out that service through education. By making graduate degrees more accessible to people who share its apostolic mission and evangelical spirit, Mary seeks to strengthen both the work of Catholic organizations and the witness of their people in professional life.

The scholarships support those currently serving in these organizations as well as eligible alumni whose work now takes them into businesses, schools, nonprofits, and other settings. Graduate education offers an opportunity to build on their formation, develop professional competence, and prepare for greater responsibilities while deepening the relationship between faith and work.

“The University of Mary exists to serve the Church, and education is the work entrusted to us,” said Monsignor James P. Shea, president of the University of Mary. “These apostolates are dear to us. Their people are our people—fellow laborers in the vineyard, animated by a love for Christ and a desire to make him known. They reach people and places we could never reach ourselves. Our task is to help them go farther, placing the gifts and resources of the University of Mary at their service. Whether they remain in full-time apostolic work or bring that missionary spirit into a business, a classroom, or the daily responsibilities of life, we want to equip them to serve with competence, courage, and generosity. Their work can bring Christ into the workplace and accomplish great good for their neighbors. And through it all, we must keep our eyes fixed on the purpose that gives every other endeavor its meaning: the salvation of souls.”

Scholarship Opportunities Across Four Catholic Partners

Under the partnerships:

Young Catholic Professionals members are eligible for scholarships of up to $7,000 toward select graduate programs.
Christ in the City’s current missionaries, staff members, and alumni are eligible for scholarships of up to $7,000. The opportunity builds on an existing academic partnership through which Mary provides credit for designated coursework in Christ in the City’s formation program.
NET Ministries’ current missionaries, staff members, and alumni are eligible for scholarships of up to $7,000 toward select graduate programs.
FOCUS’s eligible current missionaries, staff members, and alumni may receive scholarships of up to $7,000, subject to admission and scholarship requirements.

The four graduate degrees included across these partnerships are:

Additional programs may qualify under particular agreements. Prospective students should confirm their eligibility, scholarship amount, and intended program with the University of Mary.

Professional Formation in Service of Christ

The partner organizations serve the Church through distinct works: supporting Catholics in professional life, accompanying people experiencing homelessness, evangelizing young people, and forming missionary disciples. Their shared commitment to evangelization finds a natural educational partner in the University of Mary.

Mary’s graduate programs help students bring the experience and convictions developed through these apostolates into the responsibilities of leadership and professional service. For alumni now working elsewhere, that mission continues through the decisions they make, the people they serve, and the witness they offer in their workplaces.

The university’s broader collection of programs for Catholic professionals combines advanced study with Catholic intellectual formation. Flexible delivery allows working adults to pursue further education while continuing their professional, family, and apostolic responsibilities.

Those Catholic organizations interested in a similar partnership scholarship can request information from the University of Mary to discuss program fit, eligibility, and required documentation. Prospective students may also apply online.