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The Otto A. Zipf Scholarship is made available through a funding commitment in perpetuity to the Naval Academy Alumni Association by Commander Otto A. Zipf, USN (Retired), Class of 1955.
The Otto A. Zipf Scholarship offers one graduate of each Naval Academy class in the Navy Unrestricted Line or in the Marine Corps an opportunity to study for two years at the graduate level at the Ruprecht-Karl-University of Heidelberg in Heidelberg, Germany. The scholarship usually begins in the summer following graduation from the Naval Academy.
Zipf Scholars must be able to understand lectures, seminars, and academic reading assignments in German and to write term papers, take exams, and participate in discussions in that language. All foreign students must pass a proficiency exam in German for admission to the university as a regular student. If additional language training is required, Zipf Scholars may attend summer German courses in Heidelberg to prepare for this test. A scholar who does not pass the language exam will be attached to the university as a special student, auditing university courses and studying the language intensively in order to pass the German proficiency exam. Students must apply to the Ruprecht-Karl-University by July 15th of the academic year they wish to begin. The Otto A. Zipf Scholarship covers four academic terms at the Ruprecht-Karl-University. Terms are: Winter [October to February], Summer [May to July], with independent study periods between terms.
Study at the Ruprecht-Karl-University may be in any discipline supportive of a U.S. Navy subspecialty code, including humanities, social sciences, chemistry, physics and mathematics. No engineering courses are offered at the university, but engineering majors may apply for study in another field. After two years of study at Heidelberg, students take a comprehensive exam. The number of credits granted are based on their performance on this examination. Successful Zipf Scholars may earn a Master of Arts degree or the more demanding State Certificate from the Ruprecht-Karl-University. Alternatively, officers may negotiate to have credits earned applied toward a master's degree in the United States at a later time. It is best to contact the U.S. universities in advance of study in Germany.
Please note that the Magister Artium in humanities and social sciences at the Ruprecht-Karl-University requires two majors, or one major and two minors.
As part of the German higher education system, the Ruprecht-Karl-University of Heidelberg does not charge tuition. The Otto A. Zipf Scholarship covers textbooks, university fees and other expenses incident to academic support, and provides grants for overseas language training and educational travel for the Zipf Scholar and his/her legally married spouse.
Midshipmen applying for the Zipf Scholarship must be in the top 25% of their class by Order of Merit and have at least a 3.20 CQPR. Applicants should have done coursework in the German studies program at the Naval Academy or have a 2+ proficiency in the German language through other sources. It is desirable, but not mandatory, that the Zipf Scholar selectee be a Varsity "N" Letterman during either First or Second Class Year and a Midshipman LCDR (4 stripes) or higher during any First Class Year full period striper set.
Midshipmen apply for the Zipf Scholarship in August / September of First Class Year through the Naval Academy application system. In addition applicants submit an short essay outlining their qualifications and aspirations for study in Germany, which is outlined below. Please request information on any additional requirements from Professor Sylvain Guarda in the Language Studies Department. Applications endorsed by Company and Battalion Officers are due to Professor Guarda via the Graduate Education Program Manager on or about 15 September (exact date varies) of the first-class year. Zipf applications will be reviewed by the Scholarship Adviser, by the Zipf (Heidelberg) Scholarship Subcommittee, and by the Naval Academy Graduate Education Committee. The Otto A. Zipf Scholar selection will be announced in the annual Commandant of Midshipmen Notice 1520 published in November, naming Midshipmen First Class selected for graduate scholarships.
Zipf Scholars must receive approval from the Navy or Marine Corps before proceeding to the Ruprecht-Karl-University of Heidelberg.
For further information on the Otto A. Zipf Scholarship contact:
Scholarship Adviser
Professor Sylvain Guarda
Language Studies Department
Nimitz 50C, X3-6368, Stop 10C
E-Mail: Guarda@usna.edu
Graduate Education Program Manager
Ms. Marjorie Roxburgh
Preble Hall 219
X3-6334
E-Mail: roxburgh@usna.edu
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Otto A. Zipf Scholarship Application Requirements
Initial Checklist (Answer to all must be "Yes" before
proceeding)
| _____ | Meet CQPR standards, with class standing high enough to qualify for graduate study immediately after graduation |
| _____ | Command of spoken and written German enabling university-level study |
| _____ | Intend to select Navy Unrestricted Line or Marine Corps |
| _____ | Able to pursue course of graduate study
offered in Heidelberg (engineering and medicine not available, but ancillary fields are) |
In addition to the standard graduate education application package, applicants for study in Heidelberg must submit the following in support of their application:
Outline of Qualifications (bullet form preferred)
Essay (composition required)
In a brief essay in German (150-400 words) discuss why you would like to study in Heidelberg, what graduate major (engineering and medicine not available) and specific areas you plan to specialize in, and how you believe such study would contribute to your development as a person and as an officer. If applicable, outline any special abilities, experience, or interests you might have which enable you to benefit from study in Germany.
Interview
The selection committee may request individual interviews with applicants.
Scholarship Adviser
Professor Sylvain Guarda
Language Studies Department
Nimitz 50C, X3-6368, Stop 10C
E-Mail: Guarda@usna.edu