Many scholarship and abroad funding opportunities exist for students with a Middle East Studies minor. These opportunities exist to support the study of the region, it’s languages, and culture.
Shibley Memorial Scholarship
The Shibley Memorial Scholarship was created by donor Raymond N. Shibley. This scholarship is to be awarded each year to an undergraduate student considering a career in government or business and having a special interest in the Middle East geographic area. Need is not a criterion. This scholarship was created in honor of Adma Hammam Shibley.
You must meet the following conditions to apply for the scholarship:
- You are enrolled in Penn State’s Middle East Studies program (Enroll now!)
- You have attained fourth semester standing
- Your cumulative GPA exceeds 3.0
- You will have completed at least 6 credits in courses counted toward the Middle East Studies program by the end of this semester
Students who apply are asked to write a brief essay detailing their aspirations with a career in government or business, long-term goals, and interests in the Middle East.
Applications are due every year by March 15.
Boren Awards for International Study
Boren Awards are funded by the National Security Education Program (NSEP), which focuses on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security. Applicants identify how their study abroad programs or overseas projects, as well as their future academic and career goals, will contribute to U.S. national security, broadly defined. NSEP draws on a broad definition of national security, recognizing that the scope of national security has expanded to include not only the traditional concerns of protecting and promoting American well-being, but also the challenges of global society, including sustainable development, environmental degradation, global disease and hunger, population growth and migration, and economic competitiveness.
Critical Language Scholarship
The U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship part of a U.S. government initiative to foster international cooperation by ensuring that Americans have the necessary linguistic skills and cultural knowledge to effectively communicate globally. CLS provides overseas critical language study opportunities to American students to spark a lifetime interest in critical foreign languages and cultures.
Language opportunities that may be of interest to Middle East Studies minors include Arabic, Azerbaijani, Persian, and Turkish.