The OnlinePsychologyDegrees.com Thought Leaders in Psychology Scholarship is Now Closed
The study of the psyche and the motivations behind human behavior can open up doors to a deeper understanding of yourself, your relationships, and the world around you. At the undergraduate level, studying psychology serves as the foundation for graduate work and the perfect preparation for careers in human services. But even beyond that, it can give you a more nuanced perspective of what makes people tick; something that’s relevant to working in all kinds of fields, from law enforcement and public policy to business and marketing. With a PhD or PsyD being the cost of admission to full authority licensure, graduate programs are where the serious training happens for anybody preparing for a career in counseling or clinical psychology. It’s a challenge reserved for the most dedicated, but in the end it comes with some serious rewards and a lot of prestige.
Maybe you’re in the exploratory phase and looking at an undergraduate option that might leave the door open for a career in other fields, or maybe you already have your foundational degree behind you and your sights are now set on that terminal doctorate. Whatever the case might be, we know you could use some help covering the cost of your education.
Update
The application window is now closed.
Who is Eligible?
Any recently accepted or currently enrolled student in a bachelor’s, or master’s degree program in psychology from an accredited university, as well as doctoral students enrolled in or accepted to a PhD or PsyD program accredited by the American Psychological Association.
All current undergraduate and graduate students who have completed at least one semester/quarter must provide proof of having a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 in their program so far.
All recently accepted first-year students must provide proof of being accepted into a qualifying program and meet the following GPA requirements:
- Bachelor’s students must provide proof of having a minimum cumulative high school GPA of 3.0, or 3.5 in undergraduate studies if transferring from an associate’s degree program
- Master’s students must provide proof of having a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 in their undergraduate studies
- Doctoral students must provide proof of having a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 in their master’s program, or in their undergraduate studies if accepted to a professional doctorate on the basis of a bachelor’s degree
Scholarship Application Requirements
You will need to submit just two things to meet the scholarship application requirements:
- Complete application form with verifiably true and accurate information
- 100% original essay that addresses the topic described below (2,500 words or less)
If your essay is selected, we will contact you using the email you provide on the application and request the following documentation to verify your eligibility:
- Proof of enrollment or acceptance in a qualifying undergraduate or graduate degree or certificate program (letter of acceptance or another verifiable document with university letterhead)
- Proof of meeting minimum GPA requirements (transcript summary or another verifiable document with university letterhead)
Any false or inaccurate information on the application form or plagiarized content on the essay would be grounds for immediate disqualification.
Essay Topic
“These are interesting times…” it’s a well-worn cliché at this point, but one that’s undeniably true in a lot of ways. Though many of the problems plaguing the world right now are deeply systemic in nature and don’t have any simple solutions, it is our belief that everything that takes place on a societal level, whether good or bad, has some psycho-social component to it. Even if psychology by itself can’t solve the world’s problems, we believe that it can, at the very least, give us a sense of what questions we need to ask in the search for solutions.
In 2,500 words or less, we want to get your thoughts on the role psychology should play in dealing with the problems of the day– take your pick. Maybe you see an opportunity for psychology to play a role in de-escalation training for law enforcement… maybe you’re curious about the idea of behavioral psychology being put to work to encourage the behaviors that reduce disease spread… perhaps issues of societal inequity have you thinking about how psychology influences fiscal policy and tax code.
To be clear, we don’t expect you to propose solutions to any of these problems, just an exploration of the role psychology could play in helping us understand the best course to take in the years ahead.
Selecting the Winner
Our staff will review all applications and essays that meet the basic requirements and select a winner based strictly on the strength of the essay.
The essay topic is all about your personal experience and your own subjective thoughts and opinions. So naturally, there is some subjectivity to our selection process. This means that everyone with a qualifying GPA who is enrolled in or has been accepted to a qualifying program has an equal shot at winning, regardless of background, employment history, or extracurriculars. We feel this is the most equitable way to approach the selection process.
We know that all applicants are worthy of the award, but we’re limited to choosing just one winner per year.
Announcing the Winner
We will start by contacting the winner by phone or email to deliver the good news. At that time, we will ask for proof of current enrollment and transcripts covering the period of time that passed since submitting the application.
If the selected recipient is unable to supply the required documentation, or if the GPA has dropped below 3.5 since submitting the application, we reserve the right to rescind the award and give it to another applicant.
We will ask the winner to provide a picture of themselves along with a few words that we will publish right here on OnlinePsychologyDegrees.com.
We will then make our official announcement to share the good news with our readers.
Non-Discrimination Policy
OnlinePsychologyDegrees.com does not discriminate based on age, race, sex, religion, disability status or sexual orientation. All qualified applicants are given equal consideration and are assessed strictly based on the strength of their essay. It is at the sole discretion of our staff to select the applicant we feel best exemplifies the traits and values of a great psychology major.