Featured Fellowships at a Glance
Read brief descriptions of the fellowships we oversee in alphabetical order below, and click on the program names below for more detail. (You can also download a PDF overview of the “at a glance” information in table format, sorted by categories like international experience, research, and language learning.)
At the bottom of the page, you’ll find a short list of fellowships supported through other departments at Wesleyan.
Fellowships overseen at the Fries Center
Barry Goldwater Scholarship: $7,500 toward undergraduate academic expenses. Applicants must show exceptional promise of becoming research leaders in STEM fields. Open to U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents; sophomores and juniors.
Beinecke Scholarship: $34,000 toward a research-focused graduate degree in the arts, humanities, or social sciences. Applicants must receive need-based financial aid and desire a career in academia. Open to U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents; juniors only.
Boren Scholarship: Up to $25,000 for 4-12 months of study abroad in world regions critical to U.S. interests, with a language and cultural immersion program. Applicants must be interested in careers in national security (broadly defined). Open to U.S. citizens; first-years, sophomores, and juniors. This scholarship is administered by the Office of Study Abroad in collaboration with Fellowships.
Boren Fellowship: Funding for research and language study for U.S. graduate students in world regions critical to U.S. interests. Open to U.S. citizens. Because it supports study abroad during your Wesleyan degree, this scholarship is administered by the Office of Study Abroad in collaboration with Fellowships.
Churchill Scholarship: One year of graduate research/study in STEM fields at Cambridge University’s Churchill College, working closely with Churchill College scientists on original research. Applicants must have a clear track record with STEM research, a high GPA, exceptional potential for future contribution to the field, and outstanding personal qualities. Open to U.S. citizens; graduating seniors and alumni within 12 months of graduation.
Critical Language Scholarship: An intensive 8- to 10-week summer program of overseas language and cultural immersion in one of 15 languages critical to national security. Open to U.S. citizens of all class years. This scholarship is administered by the Office of Study Abroad in collaboration with Fellowships.
Fulbright Study/Research Awards: One year of independent research or graduate study in any discipline in one of ~140 program countries while serving as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. Applicants must demonstrate motivation, cultural awareness, and a strong academic background in the chosen field. Open to U.S. citizens; graduating seniors and recent alumni.
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Awards: One year of teaching in an English language classroom in one of ~75 countries outside the U.S. while serving as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. The age and academic level of the students varies by country, ranging from kindergarten to university. Applicants should be motivated, culturally aware, and have some teaching, coaching, or leadership experience. Open to both graduating seniors and recent alumni, but U.S. citizens only.
Fulbright-National Geographic Award: One year of storytelling on a globally significant theme, awarded to selected grantees of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and made possible through a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the National Geographic Society. Open to both graduating seniors and recent alumni; U.S. citizens only.
Gates Cambridge Scholarship: One to three years of graduate study in any field at Cambridge University. Applicants must show outstanding academic achievement, leadership, and commitment to improving the lives of others. Open graduating seniors and alumni of any age and any citizenship.
Harry S. Truman Scholarship: $30,000 towards graduate study for a public-service related degree in preparation for careers in government, education, nonprofit, or public interest/advocacy sector. Scholars must work in public service for three years after completing the graduate program. Applicants must show an outstanding record of leadership and civic engagement and potential to be future "change agents." For Juniors only. Open to U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents.
James C. Gaither Junior Fellow Program: A one-year position as a research assistant to senior scholars working on policy topics in one of ~12 topic areas at The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Applicants must have a high GPA, significant research experience, and strong academic and extracurricular achievement in the topic area. Open to graduating seniors and alumni within a year of graduation. Open to all citizenships.
Keasbey Memorial Foundation: Up to two years of graduate study in the UK. Open to Wesleyan every three years; next open cycle in Fall 2021 for the Class of 2022. Applicants must show high academic achievement, extracurricular involvement, leadership. Only graduating seniors can apply. Open to U.S. citizens
Knight Hennessy Scholars: Up to three years of graduate study at Stanford University in any degree program except Philosophy. Applicants must show outstanding academic achievement, independent thinking, leadership, civic mindset to "out-think, out-work, and out-care others." Open to graduating seniors and alumni within five years of graduation. Open to all citizenships.
Marshall Scholarship: One to two years of graduate study in any field at any university in the U.K. Applicants must have a minimum 3.7 GPA and demonstrated potential to excel as scholars, leaders, and contributors to U.S.-U.K. understanding. Open to graduating seniors and alumni within two years of graduation. Open to U.S. citizens only.
Mitchell Scholarship: One year of graduate study in any field at any university in Ireland, including Northern Ireland. Applicants must show academic excellence, leadership, commitment to community and public service. Open to graduating seniors and alumni up to age 30. Open to U.S. citizens only.
Rhodes Scholarship (Intl.): Two to three years of study in any degree program at Oxford University. Applicants must have a minimum 3.7 GPA, other talents demonstrated in extracurricular activities, outstanding leadership, character, commitment to others and common good. Age limit varies by country. Citizens of a range of countries are eligible to apply (see the list from the Rhodes Trust for specific countries).
Rhodes Scholarship (U.S.): Two to three years of study in any degree program at Oxford University. Applicants must have a minimum 3.7 GPA, other talents demonstrated in extracurricular activities, outstanding leadership, character, commitment to others, and common good. Open graduating seniors and alumni under age 25, or up to age 28 if the candidate has completed their first undergraduate degree within the last 2 years. U.S. citizens only.
Schwarzman Scholars: One-year Master’s program in Public Policy, Economics, or International Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Applicants must have an excellent academic record and outstanding leadership potential. Open to graduating seniors and alumni under age 29. Open to all citizenships.
Thomas J. Watson Fellowship: $40,000 to support one year of purposeful, independent exploration in multiple countries outside the U.S. Applicants should show passion, imagination, independence, leadership, resourcefulness. Graduating seniors only. Open to all citizenships.
Udall Undergraduate Scholarship: $7,000 toward undergraduate academic expenses. Applicants must demonstrate their dedication to environmental issues (this competition is open to U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of any background) or topics related to the health and policy challenges faced by Native American nations (these latter two categories are for members of or descendants of members of state or federally recognized Native American tribes only). Applicants must describe how they embody three core values—civility, integrity, and consensus—in their personal and professional lives. Open to sophomores and juniors.
Fellowships overseen by other Wesleyan departments:
Baden-Württemberg - Connecticut Exchange (BW-CT Exchange): Students from participating universities and colleges in Connecticut can spend up to one year at one of the top institutions of higher education in the Southern part of Germany. This scholarship is administered by the German Studies Department. Please contact Professor Krishna Winston for more information.
DAAD/German Academic Exchange Services: Wesleyan seniors or recent alumni/ae may apply for the DAAD Study Scholarship for a full Master’s degree program at a German university or for study at a German university as part of a postgraduate or Master’s degree program completed in the applicant's home country. Both U.S. citizens and international students are eligible to apply. German language proficiency is not required. This is a merit-based scholarship that will be awarded to the candidates with the strongest academic records and most compelling plans of study. Wesleyan is a DAAD Partner University and application for this scholarship is administered by the German Studies Department. For information please contact the department chair, Professor Ulrich Plass.
Davis Projects for Peace: Through Davis Projects for Peace grantees develop creative, community-centered, and scalable responses to the world’s most pressing issues, and establish identities as peacebuilders and changemakers. Every year 100 or more student leaders are awarded a grant in the amount of $10,000 each to implement a “Project for Peace,” anywhere in the world, typically over summer break. Projects for Peace are grassroots activities that address root causes of conflict and promote peace. Wesleyan students of any age or any major can submit an application; they can implement the project alone or with others and the project may take place anywhere in the world, including in the U.S. For information, reach out to Wesleyan’s Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship at engage@wesleyan.edu.
Mortimer Hays-Brandeis Traveling Fellowship: $19,000 to support one year of study or other activities outside the U.S. in the visual and fine arts, including art history, conservation, studio art, and photography. Open to Wesleyan graduating seniors and alumni within three years of graduation; all citizenships. Please contact the current chair of the Art & Art History Department or Ester Moran at emmoran@wesleyan.edu.