Graduate Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities
- Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Awards
- Huntington International Fellowships: International Business, Humanities, And Foreign Languages
- U.S. Department of State Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowships
- The Eagleton Fellowship Program
- Ohio Legislative Service Commission Internships
- Mellon Fellowships In The Humanities
- Fulbright Grants For Study Abroad
- The Rhodes Scholarship
- The Marshall Scholarship
- National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships
Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Awards
The Phi Kappa Phi Awards Committee invites applications for its Graduate Fellowships. Applications will be available in the Honors Office, 207 Enarson Hall.
Students who will begin their first year of graduate or professional study in any academic field during the 2005-06 academic year may apply for one of the Phi Kappa Phi National Fellowships of up to $6,000. The OSU chapter of Phi Kappa Phi will nominate one person to compete for the National Awards, of which over 50 are awarded, and its nominee will receive a $500 award from the OSU chapter. Selection criteria include scholastic performance, test scores, transcript, honors, achievements, leadership, participation in University and community activities, promise of success in graduate or professional study, and expression of study plans and career goals. Faculty recommendations are extremely important, and students are most competitive if they have a minimum grade-point average of 3.75. Again, the deadline is in early February.
Huntington International Fellowships:
International Business, Humanities, And Foreign Languages
The Huntington National Bank, through The Ohio State University, has made available a number of awards which begin at $1,000 and proceed upward for costs related to travel, tuition, and living expenses associated with a program abroad, which may last as long as one year. The program is intended to give humanities students with an interest in business the opportunity, through study abroad, to enhance their fluency in a foreign language, their knowledge of a foreign culture, and their understanding of the workings and environment of international commerce. The deadline for applications (available through the Foreign Language Center, 276 Cunz Hall) is mid-February, and eligibility conditions include:
- Sophomore or junior rank at The Ohio State University
- Completion of approximately six quarters (four semesters) of OSU foreign language study or its equivalent
- Demonstration of a serious interest in, commitment to, and involvement in business, commerce, and industry
U.S. Department of State Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowships
The United States Department of State Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program provides fellowship funding to participants prepared academically and professionally to enter the United States Department of State Foreign Service. Women, members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, and students with financial need are encouraged to apply.
This program seeks to attract outstanding students who will be enrolled in the first year of a two-year, full-time master's degree program in public policy, international affairs, public administration, or academic fields such as business, economics, political science, sociology, or foreign languages. Applicants must be U.S. citizens with an undergraduate grade-point average of 3.2 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) and must maintain a similar level of performance throughout their participation in the program. Awards will pay for tuition, room, board, and mandatory fees for the first and second years of graduate study, with reimbursement for books and one round-trip travel. Each successful candidate is obligated to a minimum of three years service in an appointment as a Foreign Service Officer. Candidates who do not successfully complete the Program and Foreign Service entry requirements may be required to reimburse the Department of State.
The application form and supporting documents (personal statement, Employment Data Form, GRE scores, certification of citizenship, two letters of recommendation, official academic transcripts, and official financial aid transcript) must be received by the deadline date in late February. You may request an application packet by e-mail or by writing to Dr. Richard O. Hope, Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program, The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, P.O. Box 2437, Princeton, NJ 08543-2437.
The Eagleton Fellowship Program
The Eagleton Institute of Politics offers the one-year Eagleton Fellowship Program in cooperation with the Department of Public Policy at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers. Each year, the program accepts 20-25 students from across the country. The program, which leads to a Master of Science degree in public policy, is designed to prepare students for careers in government, politics, and public affairs. The year of study helps students develop competencies in analytic and quantitative skills, and provides a thorough understanding of the political processes and institutions through which public policies are formulated and implemented. There is a strong emphasis on state-level government and politics. The deadline for application is March 1, and interested students can learn more about the program at its website.
Ohio Legislative Service Commission Internships: April Deadline
The Ohio Legislative Service Commission (LSC) annually sponsors a 13-month paid legislative intern program. The Commission will hire 24 persons as full-time state employees. The LSC internship allows recent college graduates to gain practical experience in the legislative process and in legislative research by assisting elected officials. The internships will begin in early December 2005 and will continue through December 31, 2006. Applications are available through the Career Services Office in 05 Brown Hall or by contacting the LSC at the Vern Riffe Center, 77 South High Street, Ninth Floor, Columbus, OH 43266-0342 (466-3615). Interested persons must complete and return an application by the April deadline. The LSC emphasizes that applicants with any major may apply and that no one major receives preference over another in the selection process. However, applicants need excellent oral and written communication skills. For further information go to the LSC website at , or for tours which include meetings with current interns, contact the LSC Intern Coordinator at (614) 466-3615.
Mellon Fellowships In The Humanities
The Mellon Fellowships in the Humanities, of which approximately 85 are awarded annually, are designed to attract exceptionally able students to a teaching career in the humanities by providing a first-year non-renewable graduate school stipend of $17,500 plus tuition and fees. Students may request an application via the Mellon website or call 1-800-899-9963. Students will serve themselves best by consulting closely with faculty and by having drafts of their personal/research essay and a list of the graduate programs to which they will apply ready by early autumn of the senior year.
Essential parts of the candidacy process include plans to take the Graduate Record Examination (forms will be available in the ASC Honors Office in 207 Enarson Hall) so that results will reach the Mellon Committee by December 1; determining which three faculty members will write letters of recommendation; investigating universities and faculty members at those universities who would be recognized as outstanding mentors for graduate study in a particular area of a discipline; and beginning to draft the required 1,000-word essay on intellectual interests and on how those interests very specifically relate to plans for graduate study and an academic career.
The Ohio State liaison to the Mellon Foundation is Assistant Dean Debra Lowry, College of Humanities, 292-1882 (lowry.40@osu.edu). Interested students should contact Dean Lowry or attend the Mellon meetings in May, organized by the College of Humanities. Details will appear in the ASC Honors Newsletter.
Fulbright Grants For Study Abroad
The Fulbright Grants Program offers exciting opportunities for research and graduate study abroad. The purpose of the Fulbright Program is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. Grants are available to over 100 countries in all parts of the world. Students should apply just prior to the beginning of the senior year.
Disciplines such as the foreign languages, history, English literature, history of art, political science, and anthropology have traditionally emphasized international study, and many students from these areas go overseas to work in archives or at historical sites relevant to their studies. More recently, graduate study in other fields has taken on an international dimension as well, and last year's Ohio State applicants were from areas as diverse as the natural sciences, dance, engineering, and business, in addition to the traditional disciplines. This trend is likely to continue.
Most grants are for a full academic year and begin in the autumn. Fulbright scholars generally affiliate with a college or university in the proposed country. Although most grants are for graduate study and research, teaching assistantships in English are available in selected countries (Belgium/Luxembourg, France, Germany, Hungary, Korea, and Turkey).
- Application Process
The student Fulbright program is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in New York. Applicants who are enrolled at a U.S. college or university, or who are recent graduates, are required to apply through their home institution. Each Ohio State applicant is interviewed by a committee of faculty whose academic and geographical interests match the candidate's as nearly as possible. Each application is sent to IIE with the rating of the interview committee. Selection is made by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, composed of 12 educational and public leaders appointed by the President of the United States. - Selection Criteria
Fulbright applicants must be U.S. citizens who will hold the bachelor's degree by the beginning of the grant period. Selection is based on the quality of the candidate's academic record, recommendations, rating by the screening committee, and the significance and feasibility of the proposed research project. - Timing
Applications usually are available in the Office of International Education by May 1. However, prospective applicants should begin planning now. - For Further Information
For detailed information on Fulbright opportunities, contact the University Fulbright Adviser, Kevin Harty, Office of International Education, 322 Oxley Hall, 1712 Neil Avenue (292-6101).
The Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarships involve two years of study at the University of Oxford in England. Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 24, and display high academic achievement, leadership potential, strong character, and physical vigor. The baccalaureate degree is required before entering residence at Oxford. There is an early Autumn Quarter deadline for application materials, and interested students should contact Professor Dennis McKay, Honors Collegium Director (mckay.2@osu.edu).
The Marshall Scholarship
The Marshall Scholarships are equal to the Rhodes, except that students may elect to study in any British university. Applicants must be under the age of 26 as of October 1 of the year of application, have an outstanding academic record with a minimum grade-point average of 3.7, and be assured of completing the baccalaureate degree prior to the beginning year of the scholarship. There is an early Autumn Quarter deadline for application materials, and interested students should see Professor Dennis McKay, Honors Collegium Director (mckay.2@osu.edu).
National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships
Each year, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awards, primarily to senior-year applicants, approximately 1,000 Graduate Fellowships, 100 Minority Graduate Fellowships, 60 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Doctoral Fellowships in the Biological Sciences, and 55 Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships. These fellowships, meant for those about to begin graduate work, usually are renewable for up to three years and offer recipients an annual living stipend in excess of $20,000, in addition to paying tuition and fees. Fellowships are awarded for graduate work and research in the mathematical, physical, biological, engineering, and social sciences. Fellowship announcements are made each March for the coming year.
The NSF-administered fellowship competitions are open only to citizens or nationals of the United States at the time of application. Students are expected to apply via the FastLane process at http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov. Students who cannot use Fastlane may request an application by writing to the National Science Foundation, The Oak Ridge Associated Universities, P.O. Box 3010, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-3010 or telephoning (866) 353-0905. The NSF competition is a two-part process, with a brief preliminary application due on a specified November date and a second, more extensive, application, which is triggered by the first application, due on a specified date in early December. Since the second application involves a proposed plan of study and/or research, course reports, a discussion of previous related experience, academic transcripts, recommendations, and Graduate Record Examination results, students should request, complete, and return the preliminary application very early Autumn Quarter of the senior year. For further information, contact your faculty adviser or Professor Dennis McKay, Honors Collegium Director (mckay.2@osu.edu).
A vital part of the application involves explaining the selection of a graduate institution, with accompanying reasons as to why the faculty and resources at that particular university are especially appropriate. In addition, candidates must submit four faculty recommendations and explain in an extended essay how their current course work and research prepares them for graduate study.
Since it is difficult to prepare a competitive dossier in the short time available during Autumn Quarter, interested students should begin to consult with their faculty adviser about the process prior to the end of this quarter and should use the spring and summer months both to gather very specific information about graduate programs and to begin to construct a statement about their research.
