კონკურსის შესახებ:

The program opening date for receiving applications is May 1, 2023. 

The submission deadline for the online application is August 1, 2023.

The United States Embassy in Georgia is pleased to announce the competition for the 2024-25 Fulbright Graduate Student Program. This program supports study in a master’s degree program at a U.S. university in all disciplines, including business administration.

The Fulbright Scholarship is one of the most prestigious scholarships offered by the U.S. Government. The recruitment of candidates for the Fulbright Graduate Student Program is based on an open competition held by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy Tbilisi.

The Fulbright Graduate Student Program’s primary sponsor is the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the United States Department of State.  The Program is co-sponsored by the government of Georgia through the International Education Center, as well as by the Bank of Georgia, and Georgia Capital.  The Program is administered under policy guidelines established by the William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.  Under a cooperative agreement with ECA, the Institute of International Education (IIE) works in partnership with a broad range of universities throughout the U.S. to identify appropriate academic programs for selected Fulbright fellows.  The recruitment for the Fulbright Graduate Student Program is carried out by the U.S. Embassy in Georgia, International Education Center, Bank of Georgia, and Georgia Capital.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Applicants must be citizens of Georgia, or neutral travel document holders from Abkhazia, Georgia or South Ossetia, Georgia;
• Applicants must have completed their undergraduate education;
• Applicants must be proficient in oral and written English at a level appropriate for study in the U.S.;
• Applicants must be eligible for the J-1 visa, which requires the grantee to return to Georgia for a minimum of two years at the end of the grant period;
• Applicants must receive a satisfactory medical clearance;
• Students who have already begun their studies in the U.S. universities at the master level are not eligible to apply;
• Persons holding permanent residence status (green card), dual citizenship with the U.S., or are otherwise seeking permanent residence in the United States are not eligible.

Application Process:

Interested applicants who meet the criteria as outlined above should complete an online application. Online Fulbright Graduate Student application is located at https://apply.iie.org/ffsp2024   

Required items uploaded as part of the online application:

• Three letters of reference – from instructors, professors, or work supervisors (recommenders should be registered through the online application).
• Academic transcript(s) – copies of academic records and corresponding unofficial English translations from all post-secondary institutions.
• Diploma(s) – copies of diploma(s) and corresponding unofficial English translations from all post-secondary institutions.
• Curriculum vitae/resume in PDF format, not exceeding 4 pages.

Additional items uploaded as part of the online application:

Candidates in the social sciences, journalism, and humanities should include a writing sample – research paper, published article, etc. Writing sample requirements for Fulbright Graduate Student Program have been updated. As more universities are requiring writing samples as a part of their application process, an enhancement has been made to the Fulbright application moving forward to require writing samples for the following of master’s fields.

• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Area Studies
• Art History
• Biology
• Communications
• Demography
• Education
• Film/Cinema Studies
• Gender Studies
• Genetics
• Geography
• History
• Humanities
• Interdisciplinary Studies
• International Relations
• Journalism
• Language
• Liberal Arts
• Linguistics
• Literature
• Mathematics
• Medical Sciences
• Museum Studies
• Music Studies
• Neuroscience
• Philosophy
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Public Health
• Religious Studies
• Social Sciences
• Social Work
• Sociology
• Theology/Religion
• Urban Planning
• Urban Studies
• Virology
• Writing

All applicants will be able to see the writing sample upload section, but it will only be required for the fields noted above. We encourage all applications to submit a writing sample through the online application system. Writing samples for these master’s fields are required for admission consideration and should be uploaded with all required application documents at the time of application submission.

• Candidates in the visual and performing arts must include a work sample – a portfolio of slides of artwork, video, film, files of music, etc.
• An audition may be required for candidates in the performing arts.
• Transcript release form – for transcripts from U.S. institutions (if candidate studied at a university in the U.S.).

Selection Process:

• Phase 1 – August: Eligibility and formal check of applications – all applications are assessed against eligibility criteria and formal requirements. Applications not meeting eligibility criteria and/or formal requirements are rejected.
• Phase 2 – September: Merit-based check of applications – applications are assessed for substance and shortlisted candidates to be interviewed are contacted.
• Phase 3 – September/October: Interview – shortlisted candidates will be interviewed at the U.S. Embassy and semi-finalists will be nominated.

All phases of the selection process will be conducted by a bi-national Fulbright Program Selection Committee, established, and convened by the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, made up of representatives from the U.S. Embassy, alumni of the Fulbright Program, and co-sponsors -International Education Center, Bank of Georgia, and Georgia Capital.

Semi-finalists will be asked to take standardized tests in October 2023.

TOEFL – minimum score is 80 IBT (550 PBT), recommended score is 100 IBT (600 PBT) or above, required in all fields of study. In Law, a minimum score of 100 IBT is required.

GRE – required in all fields of study except for Law.

GMAT – required for MBA program.

IIE will submit candidates’ applications to U.S. universities for admissions consideration.  Candidates should not apply or communicate on Fulbright-related issues with U.S. universities on their own.  Final decisions regarding placement are made by ECA upon the recommendation of IIE and will be announced to candidates in spring 2024.

Successful applicants typically have no prior graduate study in the U.S. or Europe, may have some professional experience, and exhibit strong leadership potential. We strongly encourage applications from all regions of Georgia and in all academic fields.

წყარო: The United States Embassy in Georgia