The United States Embassy in Georgia is pleased to announce the competition for the 2019-20 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 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 of the United States Department of State (ECA). The Program is co-sponsored by the Government of Georgia and Bank of Georgia. The Program is administered under policy guidelines established by the William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Under a cooperative agreement with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 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 done by the U.S. Embassy in Georgia, the LEPL – International Education Center, Georgia and the JSC Bank of Georgia.
The program opening date for receiving applications is May 1, 2018.
The submission deadline for the online application is July 31, 2018.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be citizens of Georgia, or neutral travel document holders from Abkhazia, Georgia or South Ossetia, Georgia;
Applicants must have completed undergraduate education;
Applicants must be proficient in oral and written English at a level appropriate for study in the US;
Applicants must be eligible for 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
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Interested applicants who meet the criteria as outlined above should complete an online application consisting of the following components:
Required Items
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- Web-based Fulbright Graduate Student application located at
https://apply.embark.com/student/fulbright/international
Three letters of reference – from instructors, professors or work supervisors (must be submitted online, as part of the Embark application)
Academic transcripts - official, certified copies of academic records from all post-secondary institutions (must be uploaded as part of the Embark application)
Official transcripts translated into English (must be uploaded as part of the Embark application)
Diploma(s) – copy of original(s) (must be uploaded as part of the Embark application)
Completion of Application process on https://apply.embark.com/student/fulbright/international
Additional Items
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Candidates in the social sciences, journalism, and humanities may include a writing sample – research paper, published article, etc. – if they feel it would strengthen their application.
Candidates in the visual and performing arts must include a work sample – a portfolio of slides of artwork, video, film, cassette of music, etc.
Candidates may include a professional resume if they desire, but it is not required.
An audition may be required for candidates in the performing arts.
Selection Process
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Phase 1 – mid-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 – end of August: Merit-based check of applications – applications are assessed for substance and shortlisted candidates to be interviewed are contacted;
Phase 3 – mid-September: 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 Georgia, made up of representatives from the U.S. Embassy, alumni of the Fulbright program, and co-sponsors LEPL International Education Center Georgia and the JSC Bank of Georgia.
Semi-finalists will be asked to take standardized tests in September-October 2018.
TOEFL – minimum 80 IBT (550 PBT); recommended a 100 IBT (600 PBT) or above, especially in a number of professional fields such as architecture, public administrations, business, among others. In law, a minimum of 100 IBT is required.
GRE – required in most fields of study with the exception of Law
GMAT – required for MBA program.
The Institute of International Education (IIE) will submit candidates’ applications to US universities for admissions consideration. Candidates should not apply to US universities on their own. Final decisions regarding placement are made by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs upon the recommendation of IIE and will be announced to candidates in spring 2018.
Successful applicants are typically under 30 years of age by the application deadline date, have no prior graduate study in the USA or Europe, have 2-year professional experience and exhibit strong leadership potential. We strongly encourage applications from all regions of Georgia and in all academic fields.