Marshall Scholarship

Overview:

Founded by a 1953 Act of Parliament, Marshall Scholarships offer 1 – 3 years of post-graduate study to young Americans to a pursue a graduate degree in the United Kingdom in almost any field of study. Marshall Scholars receive funding for graduate study, including tuition, stipend and travel expenses. 

Eligibility:

  • U.S. citizen at the time of application
  • Senior or recent alumnus/a 
    • First bachelor degree earned no earlier than April two years prior to application
  • 3.7 GPA or higher (3.8 or higher, highly recommended)
  • Demonstrate leadership and ambassadorial potential

Application Materials: 

  • One personal statement (750 -1000 words)
    • A successful personal statement will answer the following questions:
      • What are your career goals and professional aspirations?
      • How have your program studies or experiences at Penn State prepared you for your proposed course of study?
      • What prompted you to seek further academic study in the UK/Ireland specifically? Is there a specific university or program you've identified for an application?
      • How does the proposed course of study support your career goals?
  • Indication of scholarship(s) for which you wish to be nominated
  • Two letters of recommendation addressed to the campus evaluation committee
  • List of additional letter writers and brief descriptions of the contexts in which you know each
    • 6-8 additional writers for Rhodes
    • 3-5 additional writers for Marshall, Mitchell and Churchill
  • Curriculum vitae or resume
  • Transcript(s)

Application Procedure:

Office Application Deadline - March 19, 2023

Given that the university is required to nominate its candidates, there is an office application deadline and a campus evaluation process. 

To be considered for University nomination, you must submit the materials listed above to our office by email (urfm@psu.edu). Recommenders should email us their letters directly. You will be notified in April if you've been selected to interview with the campus committee. Nominees will spend the summer working with the office on the application materials required by the Marshall Commission.

National Application Deadline - TBD

Application materials required by the Marshall Commission must be submitted online by the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring Office with the accompanying letter of institutional endorsement.

Information
Year at Time of Application: 
Junior, Senior or Beyond, Recent Alum
Duration of Award: 
Full Year or More
Other: 
No Preference, Graduate Study, International Experience
Procedure: 
Office Nomination
Area of Interest: 
Agricultural Sciences, Architecture, Business, Communications and Journalism, Education, Engineering, Environmental and Geosciences, Life Sciences, Humanities, Information Technology and Computer Science, International Relations Political Science and Law, Mathematics, Music, Nursing and Health Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Statistics, Visual and Performing Arts
Earliest Application Deadline: 
Jan. – April
Location: 
International
Penn-State Sponsored: 
No
Fellowship Components: 
Graduate School