Professional Master's Excellence Award

The Professional Master’s Excellence Award recognizes individual student excellence in a professional master's degree program under the Graduate School, in any discipline, based upon the student’s academic record in the graduate program and the quality and impact of the student’s culminating experience, including creative works, performance, and projects conducted in a professional setting. Pending receipt of qualified nominations, four awards will be available each year for students in resident and online professional master’s degree programs.

To be eligible, nominees must be enrolled in a professional master’s degree program under the Graduate School; be in good academic standing, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5; be in their final year of graduate work (graduating in the following spring, summer or [next] fall semesters), and have completed substantial progress on an individual culminating experience required for their degree. A student enrolled in a doctoral program (concurrently or in a program in which the master’s is completed along the way) is not eligible for consideration. University employees receiving educational privileges are not eligible for this University scholarship/award in accordance with Penn State policies HR36 and HR38.

Applications/nominations for the upcoming academic year will open in the August time frame.

Students may apply directly or faculty/staff may nominate a student. Please contact your college graduate education office for important information, attachments and nomination link contained in email announcement.

For more information please contact the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards Administration.

2023–24

  • Allison Brault, Music, College of Arts and Architecture
  • Grace Buddle, Biotechnology, Eberly College of Science
  • Kimberly Cunningham, Architecture, College of Arts and Architecture
  • Erin Stanek, Theatre, College of Arts and Architecture