Stanford University Knight-Hennessy PhD Scholarship Program for International Students


Knight-Hennessy Scholars


Knight-Hennessy Scholars develops a community of future global leaders to address complex challenges through collaboration and innovation. Every year, up to 100 high-achieving students from around the world will receive full funding to pursue any graduate degree at Stanford, including the DMA, JD, MA, MBA, MD, MFA, MS, and PhD programs, as well as joint- and dual-degrees. Knight-Hennessy Scholars is the largest fully endowed scholars program in the world.



Who are we looking for?


We seek rebellious minds and independent spirits. We welcome people who are sharp thinkers, but even more so curious, who will bring good ideas and maverick perspectives to old challenges.

Criteria

There’s neither a typical Stanford student nor one ideal Knight-Hennessy Scholar. As Phil Knight would say, we’re seeking Scholars who can out-think, out-work, and out-care others.

What We're Seeking in a Scholar

If you remember only one thing from this admission section, please remember this: to be selected as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar, you must apply separately to the Stanford graduate degree program you wish to pursue in addition to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program. We can't select you as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar if the department doesn't admit you (though the department may admit you even if you're not selected as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar).
You should check each department's website for a sense of what it seeks in candidates. For Knight-Hennessy Scholars, we look primarily at three areas:
1. Independence of Thought
  • First-step mental sharpness
  • Seeks out knowledge and new experiences
  • Full of original ideas
  • Makes sense of ambiguous situations
  • Can hold a contrarian or dissenting point of view
2. Purposeful Leadership
  • Ambitious, in the best sense of the word
  • Driven to improve self
  • Willing to take risks
  • Self-aware
  • Persists and bounces back from adversity
3. Civic Mindset
  • Personally humble and kind
  • Inclusive
  • Respects differences
  • Concerned for and helpful to others
  • Low ego
Where we find evidence of these criteria is throughout your application materials and, if you are selected as a finalist, at Immersion Weekend. We look forward to getting to know you, what you have done, your influences, ideals, hopes, and dreams.

Eligibility

Are you a potential Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University? Below is a general listing of the eligibility factors.

All Citizens Welcome

We encourage applications to Knight-Hennessy Scholars from citizens of all countries. That’s natural since we expect Knight-Hennessy Scholars to have global impact.
We expect that over time about one-third of our scholars will be from the U.S., and about two thirds will be from countries outside the U.S. Those numbers will fluctuate from year to year, since our goal is to admit the world’s very best students, regardless of location.
Did you earn a degree at an institution outside the U.S.? To be eligible for graduate study, you must hold the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree from a college or university of recognized standing. See Stanford's guidelines for minimum level of study. (For questions on this policy, contact the Office of Graduate Admissions, not the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program.)

All Graduate Programs at Stanford; Only for Graduate Degrees

You are eligible to apply to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program if you are applying to enroll in any full-time graduate degree program at Stanford (for example, but not limited to, DMA, Eng, JD, MA, MBA, MD, MFA, MS, or PhD) or if you plan on pursuing one of Stanford’s many joint- and dual- graduate degree options (for example, but not limited to, MD+PhD, JD+MA, MBA+MS).*
The Stanford education of Knight-Hennessy Scholars is fully funded. The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program funds up to the first three years of your graduate education, and if your degree program exceeds three years — such as an MD or PhD program, or a Stanford dual- or joint-degree program — then your Stanford home department will fund the remainder of your education to the extent consistent with its standard funding commitment for that program. (For example, some programs typically fund six years for PhDs, while others fund five years for PhDs.)
While we are excited to build a cohort that reflects the breadth of excellence at Stanford, there are no allocations or quotas by discipline or program. Please note, however, that we will give priority to applicants who will spend at least two years at Stanford: we do not believe one year is sufficient to form the community we envision and benefit from the leadership platform we are developing.

*The Department of Philosophy does not participate in the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program. As such, we cannot consider candidates applying only to Philosophy degree programs. You may, however, apply for an MA or PhD in Philosophy as the second degree in a Stanford dual-degree program (e.g., JD+PhD, MD+MA).

Financial Support for Full Cost of Attendance

The education of Knight-Hennessy Scholars is fully funded for any graduate degree at Stanford. The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program funds up to the first three years of your graduate education, and if your degree program exceeds three years — such as an MD or PhD program, or a Stanford dual- or joint-degree program — then your Stanford home department(s) will fund the remainder of your education to the extent consistent with its standard funding commitment for that program. (That means, for example, five years for some PhDs and six years for others.)
During each of the first three years of graduate study, Knight-Hennessy Scholars receive:
  • a fellowship applied directly to cover tuition (commensurate with standard departmental level of enrollment) and associated fees, and
  • a stipend for living and academic expenses (such as room and board, books, academic supplies, instructional materials, local transportation, and reasonable personal expenses), and
  • a travel stipend intended to cover an economy-class ticket for one annual trip to and from Stanford.
  • NOTE: Knight-Hennessy Scholars also may apply for supplemental funds to support academic endeavors (e.g. conference travel).
You may view a sample graduate student budget.

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars application is now open. The deadline to apply for the 2020 cohort is October 9, 2019.

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