Fellowships for PhD Candidates
The Seminary is pleased to offer PhD Fellowships. (Grants and scholarships in the doctoral program are called fellowships). It is necessary that PhD candidates submit to the Financial Aid Office the Union Application for Financial Aid, as well as any other documents required by that Office. It is also necessary that the candidates understand that they must be enrolled full-time at Union every semester and maintain good academic standing to remain eligible for the fellowship.
According to Seminary rules, fellowships are offered a year at a time and you must apply each year to have the fellowship renewed. But you can expect that your Union Seminary fellowship will be renewed for the second and third and fourth year of your program. When your tuition is reduced after you have finished the “Residency” requirement, the amount of your fellowship that covers tuition will also be reduced so that it matches the amount of the new tuition you have to pay. If your fellowship includes a stipend for your living expenses, that amount will not change from year to year. Your fellowship amount cannot be increased in future years for any “need-based” reasons. For example, a student may not expect an increase in a fellowship later on because of a change in personal or family circumstances.
Every doctoral student will be expected to tutor or perform some other educational role at some point in the course of his or her program. Normally it will involve serving as a tutor or tutor-assistant for one of the larger classes. For doctoral students on a graduate fellowship that includes a stipend, tutor service for the two semesters of the fourth year of the program is part and parcel of accepting the fellowship. For the doctoral student without the stipendiary fellowship, a stipend will be given for each semester of tutoring. But for all, some tutoring work can be required.
Should you require additional financial assistance, the Financial Aid Director may be able to help you. Educational loans, and/or a Federal Work-Study job may be possible if you are a U.S. citizen and show need. (By law, foreign students are not eligible). You are encouraged to file the FAFSA - “Free Application for Federal Student Aid” - so as to be considered for these awards. Your Fellowship is not contingent upon your FAFSA Application.
| Fellowships for STM Candidates
The Masland Fellowship for
American Pastors on Study Leave
The Masland Fellowship offers an opportunity for a parish minister on sabbatical or study leave to pursue full-time study at the Seminary for one or two semesters. Appointed Fellows are urged to become candidates for the S.T.M. Applicants must be ministers of American churches who have had at least 5 years experience in the pastorate and who show promise that their service to the church will be deepened and enlarged by further study. Special consideration is given to applicants who are ministers of the United Methodist Church. Awards vary, depending on the funds available.
Fellowships for STM
Students from Other Countries
Ecumenical Fellowships are awarded to a limited number of international students to enable them to study full-time at Union for one academic year. Preference will be given to applicants who have never studied in the United States. Fellows are admitted as candidates for the degree of Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) and are expected to complete this degree program in one academic year.
Applicants must have the necessary educational background in order to apply:
- A minimum of four years of undergraduate study plus three years of graduate or professional study in theology (equivalent to the M.Div.).
- Some exceptions are made for students from Germany and the United Kingdom because of the nature of their educational systems. In these cases, students who hold the German Diploma or its equivalent (kirchliches Examen) or the English B.A. can be admitted as candidates for the S.T.M.
The stipend covers minimum expenses for the nine months of the academic year (September through May), including tuition, a single-person dormitory room, and a cash stipend. Travel costs to and from the Seminary are not included. Fellows will need an additional $1,000-$2,000 of their own money for other living expenses.
Applicants should apply to the persons listed below:
English Fellowship Committee:
Mr. David Tombs
Department of Theology and Religious Studies
Roehampton Institute London
Southlands College
80 Roehampton Lane
London SW15 5SL, ENGLAND
E-mail: D.TOMBS@ROEHAMPTON.AC.UK
Students from Continental Europe:
The Scholarship Committee
World Council of Churches
150 Route de Ferney, Post Office Box 2100
1211 Geneva 2, SWITZERLAND
Scottish Fellowship Committee:
The Principal
New College
Mound Place
Edinburgh, EH1 2LX, SCOTLAND
Students from Other Countries:
Apply to Advanced Degree Admissions at the Seminary.
The Masayasu Norimatsu Fellowship, the Eugene Carson Blake Fellowship, the Kim Dae-Jung Fellowship, the E & M Charities Scholarship, and the Gladys and Donald Shriver, Sr. Fellowship may also be awarded each year. A letter requesting application forms should include the applicant's age, education, degrees held, current work, and purpose of intended study. Completed applications are due January 6 preceding the academic year for which application is made.
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