Graduate Student Awards
KSU graduate students are recognized for their accomplishments and contributions with the university-wide awards listed below. Additionally, discipline-specific awards may be presented by departments, graduate programs, and other groups.
UDP Excellence in Doctoral Studies Award
Sponsored by K-State's University Distinguished Professors, this award recognizes exceptional achievement in doctoral studies. Applicants must demonstrate excellence in scholarship through publications and other accomplishments appropriate for his or her academic field. Doctoral candidates from any discipline who meet eligibility requirements may apply. The application process begins at the middle of each spring semester.
CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award
The Distinguished Dissertation Award is made annually to individuals who, in the opinion of the award committee, have completed dissertations representing original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to the discipline. Award winners receive an honorarium of $2,000 and a certificate of recognition. In alternating years, awards are presented in 1) Humanities and Biological/Life Sciences, and 2) Engineering/Math/Physical Sciences and Social Sciences. K-State may submit one nomination for each category each award year. The Graduate School conducts a nomination process each spring semester.
MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Thesis Award
The Distinguished Thesis Award serves to recognize and reward distinguished scholarship and research at the master’s level. Each recipient of a MAGS Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award will receive a $750 honorarium. In alternating years, awards are presented in 1) Humanities & Fine Arts and Biological/Life Sciences, and 2) Engineering/Math/Physical Sciences and Social Sciences. K-State may submit one nomination for each category each award year. The Graduate School conducts a nomination process each spring semester.
GSC and MAGS Awards for Graduate Student Teaching Excellence
The GSC Award for Graduate Student Teaching Excellence recognizes graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) who have excelled in classroom teaching. One master's student and one doctoral student is selected for this award each fall. Each award recipient receives a $500 scholarship and serve as Kansas State University's nominees for the annual Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) Excellence in Teaching Award. These nominees compete for a $750 honorarium that is presented at the annual MAGS meeting in the spring. One master’s student and one doctoral student are selected for the MAGS award.
Alumni Association Awards
Graduate students are eligible for the following awards presented by the K-State Alumni Association. The nomination deadline for these awards is in February.
- Graduate Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service
- Graduate Award for Outstanding Academics
- Tony Jurich Community Commitment and Leadership Awards
- International Leadership Awards
- Multicultural Leadership
- International Student Scholarships
- LGBTQ+ Leadership Award
Presidential Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Student Teaching
This award recognizes and rewards excellence in teaching performance in the undergraduate program. Annually, two $5,000 awards are made each year, one of which is presented to a graduate teaching assistant. Nominations are submitted by department heads to the dean of the college in which the teacher is appointed. Each dean may submit one GTA nomination. A call for nominations occurs each spring semester.