Topics in the Humanities

Graduate Programs of Interest

English

MFA in Creative Writing from University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO)

Summary: The MFA consists of 45 hours of coursework, including 9 thesis credits. Students will have the opportunity to choose courses and workshops in their concentration of interest and explore multiple genres. The student’s thesis may consist of a book of poems, a novel, a book of nonfiction, a screenplay, play, collection of short stories or other cross-genre work of at least 70 pages. The program is meant to be completed in three years but students are allowed up to four. Many students are offered Teaching Assistantships and Graduate Part-Time Instructorships based on their program application, which provide stipends and tuition discounts.

Creative Writing MFA from Hollins University (Roanoke, VA)

Summary: This two-year program teaches writers to grow in their unique style through an individualized approach. Though small, Hollins’ Jackson Center for Creative Writing boasts an impressive publishing record by alumni who have received Pulitzer Prizes, Guggenheim Fellowships, and other prestigious awards. A new Writer-In-Residence joins the faculty each Spring to work with graduate students. Students will study short fiction, novels, creative nonfiction, film, poetry, and other genres. Students are given opportunities to participate in public readings and writing-based service work.

Hollins also has graduate programs in Children’s Book Writing & Illustration,  Playwriting, and Screenwriting & Film Studies. The Screenwriting & Film Studies program takes place over multiple six-week summer terms, which allow for students to live and work elsewhere for ten months out of the year.

Scholarship Programs

The Fulbright Program

The Fulbright program offers scholarships in all academic disciplines. They enable graduating seniors and graduate students to research, study, or teach English abroad. There are over 140 partner countries where Fulbrighters have worked and studied with the goal of expanding cross-cultural engagement. 

The Rhodes Scholarship

The Rhodes Scholars program awards 32 US students the opportunity to pursue a degree at Oxford University in the UK. Candidates are selected based on academic merit, leadership potential, and, moral character, and commitment to the common good.

The Harvey Fellows Program

The Harvey Fellows Program provides scholarships for Christians pursuing graduate degrees in fields underrepresented by Christians, including government, the arts, scientific research, and many others. The purpose of the program is to equip Christians to integrate their faith into their vocation. To qualify, students must be graduating from or planning to attend an institution that is in the top 5 for their field. 

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship was founded by a donation to the University of Cambridge from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It provides full tuition scholarships, travel expenses, and a living stipend for students from many different countries to earn a graduate degree at Cambridge in any program they offer, with the goal of contributing to society. Intellectual ability, leadership potential, and a commitment to impact others are the main criteria for evaluation. Recipients have come from over 100 countries to explore solutions to challenges all over the world. They build a diverse, international network of colleagues throughout the program. Approximately 25 scholarships are given to applicants from the U.S. annually.

Marshall Scholarship

The Marshall Scholarship was established by the British government in the 1950s as a means to thank the United States for its post-war recovery aid program, The Marshall Plan. The scholarship was named after the plan and is given to about 50 US citizens annually. Recipients are to obtain a graduate degree at any UK institution after completing their Bachelor’s degree. Awards are given based on academic merit, leadership potential, and ambassadorial potential and cover the cost of travel, cost of living, and tuition. The goal of the program is to continue and strengthen the symbiotic relationship between the UK and the US and help students reach their academic potential. There are one-year scholarship programs and two-year scholarship programs. Students must decide which to apply for and may not apply for both simultaneously. 

The George J Mitchell Scholarship

The Senator George J Mitchell Scholarship is awarded annually to 12 US scholars as an initiative of the US-Ireland Alliance. US Senator Mitchell played a pivotal role in peace negotiations in Northern Ireland in the 1990s. Mitchell Scholars receive a full tuition scholarship, accommodations, and a stipend to study for one year at any institution in Ireland and Northern Ireland for their graduate degree in any field of study. Academic excellence, leadership, and community/public service are the primary considerations of the application process. The goal of the scholarship is to introduce future American leaders to Ireland.

Public Service and Foreign Service

The Pickering Fellowship and The Rangel Program

The Pickering Fellowship and the Rangel Program are both for college seniors and graduates who want to study international relations and work in Foreign Services within the U.S. State Department. They provide generous scholarships toward the completion of a graduate degree in approved areas of study. These fellowships also include mentoring, two summer internships (some on Capitol Hill and some abroad), and work placements in Foreign Services. Fellows have worked in Africa, Latin America, Europe, and other locations. Both programs aim to promote diverse perspectives and encourage women, those with underrepresented backgrounds, and those with financial need to apply.

The Truman Scholarship

The Truman Scholarship is given to undergraduate juniors (or seniors who are obtaining their Bachelor’s degree over three years only) who have chosen to pursue careers in public service, whether as public office holders, legislators, lawyers, educators, or non-profit leaders. Its goal is to invest early in the education of promising public servants by covering the cost of their Master’s degree. Applicants must be nominated by their university. 

French

(Kelly Kidder is the point person for questions about French scholarships.)

Deauville scholarship - students send a letter and a resume

Nina Walls scholarship - would be more applicable for alumni, as it currently is for teachers of French

Teaching Assistant Program in France

The French Embassy places American teaching assistants in public schools across France to help teach English for twelve hours a week while immersing themselves in French culture. To qualify, applicants must speak French with intermediate proficiency. The program lasts seven months and may be renewed for a second term. The program provides an opportune jumping-off-point for graduate program scholarships and international education. Two Lipscomb students received positions in 2019.