Taft Undergraduate Fellowship Philosophy

Student Eligibility

  1. Enrolled in UC College of Arts and Sciences with a declared major in Philosophy.
  2. Carrying a minimum 3.0 GPA overall and in the Philosophy major.
  3. Will have completed a minimum of 100 hours at the University of Cincinnati, including no less than half of the upper-level course requirement for Philosophy majors by the start of the Fellowship tenure if awarded.
  4. Fellows must be full-time students and in-residence at the University of Cincinnati during the Fellowship tenure.

Application Procedure

  1. The Taft Undergraduate Fellowship application procedures will be published on the Department website and throughout the year.
  2. Applications are due to the Undergraduate Director beginning on or before the last Friday in April in the academic year prior to the fellowship period.
  3. Interested students should contact a potential faculty advisor well in advance of the application deadline in order to formulate a proposal and application.
  4. The application will consist of, in four collated copies:
    • Cover sheet indicating the student's name, address, email, and other contact information, as well as the title of the project, advisor name, and estimated graduation date. (A standardized form may be provided.)
    • Letter of support from the faculty advisor expressing willingness to supervise the project during the subsequent academic year.
    • Current Degree Progress Audit (DPA)
    • Written proposal of approximately four double-spaced pages describing the project and its significance, the expected outcome, a bibliography of primary and secondary research sources, a timetable for completion of the project, and a detailed budget if applicable.

Selection Procedure

  1. At the end of April, the Philosophy Department will convene an ad hoc committee of at least three faculty members who are not also serving as advisors for applications to evaluate applications for the Taft Undergraduate Fellowship.
  2. The committee will select the Fellow (or Fellows, if there is a hold-over slot from previous year) based on (i) student qualification and preparation, (ii) the significance of the proposed project, (iii) the letter of recommendation, and (iv) the feasibility of the proposed project.
  3. The committee's recommendation will be submitted to the Department for approval by the end of the third week in May. The Taft Center will be notified of the approval, and the student will be notified promptly thereafter.
  4. No student may receive more than one Taft Undergraduate Fellowship.

Completion of Project

  1. The Taft Undergraduate Fellow for Philosophy is expected to complete a substantial piece of philosophical research. The project will culminate in the production of a research paper similar in length, format, and quality to a journal article, typically 7000-10000 words in length.
  2. The Fellow will enroll in independent study coursework with the faculty advisor during at least two quarters of the project work period. Up to three (3) credits will be applied toward the upper-level requirements for the Philosophy major; remaining credits may be applied to the in-major electives. However these credits do not satisfy the Capstone requirement for Philosophy majors, which requires them to take at least one 500-level course in Philosophy.
  3. Fellows are eligible for all Departmental awards and honors.
  4. The project should be completed by the last Friday in April in the year of the award.
  5. The final product must be submitted to a committee of at least two faculty members including the faculty advisor and an outside reader selected by the student and advisor.
  6. Upon approval, the committee will notify the Undergraduate Director, who will inform the Taft Center of the completion of the project.
  7. Arrangements will be made for the Fellow to present their work to the Philosophy Department faculty and students.