Scholarship Opportunities
Spring 2009

The Department of Philosophy is pleased to announce the availability of two scholarships for Spring 2009. These scholarships have been made possible by the generosity of the Whittington family and the Friends of Philosophy, for which the Department is extremely grateful.

The recipients will each receive $500, listing in the Spring 2009 commencement program, and a specially printed certificate from the Department. 

Scholarships available for both Undergraduate and Graduate Philosophy Students

Whittington Scholarship: $500
The Whittington Scholarship was established with a generous gift from Marie Whittington and her late husband, Edward Whittington, retired Los Angeles commercial photographers and long-standing friends of the CSULB Philosophy Department. After the Whittingtons raised their three children, Marie Whittington returned to college and received a B.A. degree in Philosophy in 1979 from CSULB, graduating "with great distinction." Her name appeared on the President's list numerous times, and she was named the Outstanding B.A. graduate.  In addition, she served as President of Phi Sigma Tau. Mrs. Whittington then returned to complete an M.A. in Philosophy in 1982, writing her Master's thesis on the topic "Why Preserve Species?" After receiving her M.A. degree, Mrs. Whittington taught philosophy for some years as a part-time lecturer at CSULB, Golden West College, and Marymount College. The annual scholarship is supported by a generous endowment gift from the Whittington's.

Friends of Philosophy Scholarship: $500
Friends of Philosophy scholarships are supported by generous donations from CSULB alumni and others.

Eligibility
To be eligible for Whittington and Friends of Philosophy Scholarships, applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. Be enrolled for at least 12 units (if an undergraduate) or at least 6 units (if a graduate student) in Spring 2009.

2. Be an upper-division or graduate student majoring in philosophy at the time of application.

3. Have completed at least 12 undergraduate or 6 graduate units in Philosophy at CSULB prior to Spring 2009.

4. Have a cumulative undergraduate or graduate GPA (whichever is applicable) of at least 3.2 overall.

5. Plan to complete his or her B.A. or M.A. in Philosophy at CSULB.  Previous recipients of the Whittington Scholarship are ineligible for a second Whittington Scholarship. Previous recipients of other scholarships in the Department are eligible for a second scholarship, but will receive a lower priority, based on financial need.

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Application Process
To apply for the Whittington or Friends of Philosophy scholarships, submit just one application and you will be considered for both:

1. The "Scholarship Application" form available by clicking here.

2. A cover letter stating why you believe you deserve this scholarship. Please explicitly address the three criteria of merit, promise, and need. This letter may also contain additional information which  you feel would be helpful in evaluating your application, including special accomplishments while at CSULB such as activity or leadership in organizations, community involvement, research, honors, awards, etc., your plans for further study or a career after you complete your degree objective at CSULB, or special financial need.

3. A transcript of all college work completed at schools other than CSULB. [The Department will directly access your transcript for work at CSULB, so you do not need to submit a CSULB transcript.]

4. One sample of your philosophical writing (e.g., a paper written for a class).

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Application Deadlines
The complete application must be received in the Department of Philosophy (MHB-917) no later than 9:00 a.m. sharp on Monday, December 1, 2008. The scholarship winners will be announced by the end of the Fall 2008 term.

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