Each year, we recognize student achievements through a series of awards:

• Outstanding Students in the MPA & M.A. in Political Science graduate programs
• Outstanding Senior Major Awards in POSC, PPA, & INTA
• Outstanding Senior in Political Communication
• Best Thesis Awards in the POSC, PPA, & INTA majors
• Best Paper Award

In addition, qualified departmental majors can apply for membership in the relevant national honors societies:

• Pi Alpha Alpha, the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration
• Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society
• Sigma Iota Rho, the International Studies Honors Society

The department provides several graduate assistantships annually to students in the Master of Public Administration program and in the M.A. in Political Science program focused on European Union Policy Studies.  Contact those programs' directors for more details.

Thanks to the generosity of many donors, our department awards the following scholarships each year to undergraduate students:

Dr. Henry A. Myers Memorial Scholarship

• This scholarship is awarded to the rising senior in the political science major with the highest overall GPA.
• No application is needed. Each year's recipient is selected the preceding spring.

Carole Jan Gorry Memorial Scholarship

• This scholarship is awarded to a political science major who is from Virginia.
• No application is needed. Each year's recipient is selected by the faculty the preceding spring.

Paul Cline Scholarship

• This scholarship is awarded to support experiential learning (internships, study abroad, etc.) by departmental majors.
• Students apply each spring semester preceding the award; a recipient is then chosen by a faculty committee.

DuVal Public Service Fellowship

• This fellowship is awarded to support public-service internships in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Students apply each spring semester to fund summer internship work; a recipient is then chosen by a faculty committee.

Washington Semester Scholarship

• This need-based scholarship is awarded each semester to support students participating in JMU's Washington Semester program.
• Read interviews with recent recipients about the impact of this scholarship.
• To be eligible, students must complete a Federal Student Aid application (FAFSA) with JMU's Office of Financial Aid.