Graduate Student Awards

K-State 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.

Awards coordinated by the Graduate School

This award, sponsored by K-State's University Distinguished Professors, honors doctorate excellence. Applicants must show scholarly excellence via publications and other academic achievements. Doctoral candidates from any field who fulfill prerequisites may apply. Application starts mid-spring semester.
Academically successful GTAs get the GSC Award for Graduate Student Teaching Excellence. One master's and one doctoral student get this distinction each fall. KSU's Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) Excellence in Teaching Award finalists receive $500 stipends. This spring MAGS meeting has candidates competing for a $750 honorarium. A master's and doctoral student get MAGS.
The award committee annually presents the Distinguished Dissertation Award to outstanding dissertations that make an especially substantial contribution to the field. Award winners get $2,000 and a certificate. Humanities/Biological/Life Sciences and Engineering/Math/Physical Sciences/Social Sciences get honors alternately. Award years, K-State may submit one nominee each category. Each spring, the Graduate School accepts nominations.
The master's Distinguished Thesis Award honors outstanding research. All MAGS Distinguished Master's Thesis Award winners get $750. Humanities & Fine Arts and Biological/Life Sciences alternate with Engineering/Math/Physical Sciences and Social Sciences wins. K-State may nominate one category every year. Graduate School nominations occur each spring.

Additional university awards for graduate students

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.

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.

Learn more about the Presidential Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching