The California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education, planned by a consortium of public and private colleges and universities from throughout California, have been designed particularly to meet the needs of advanced undergraduates and master's candidates who belong to groups that are currently underrepresented in doctoral-level programs. The groups include low-income and first-generation college students and especially African Americans, American Indians, Chicanos/Latinos, Filipinos, Pacific Islanders, Asian American women, and Asian American men in the arts, humanities, and social and behavioral sciences.

Each California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education will bring together approximately 1,000 pre-selected, high-achieving undergraduate and master's students enrolled at colleges and universities within California. The students will explore graduate opportunities and resources by participating in numerous workshops conducted throughout the day. Universities and individual graduate programs offering academic master's and/or Ph.D. degrees are welcome to participate in the recruitment fairs that will take place concurrently with the other planned activities. Note that these events are for all disciplines except programs in medicine, dentistry, optometry, chiropractic, pharmacy, veterinary science, and law, all of which have their own recruiting networks.