SMCM Fulbright Program

“The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. The program currently awards approximately 1,900 grants annually in all fields of study. Fulbright U.S. Student alumni populate a range of professions and include ambassadors, members of Congress, judges, heads of corporations, university presidents, journalists, artists, professors, and teachers.” –Fulbright Website

• Applicants may either 1) teach English in their selected host country; 2) attend graduate school; or 3) design their own research project, all while engaging with outreach projects that benefit the host community; &
• Applicants may apply for opportunities to teach or study in more than 140 countries.

For more information on the available countries and the requirements for each country, please visit: http://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens or nationals at the time of application;
• Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent before the start of the grant;
• Applicants may need to have some proficiency in the written and spoken language of the host country to communicate with people and to carry out the proposed study/research. (Language requirements vary, depending on the grant);
• Preference will be given to applicants whose education was undertaken primarily at institutions in the United States. Undergraduate study abroad experiences, either in the chosen host country or elsewhere, will not be considered a disadvantage;
• Candidates who have not resided or studied in the country to which they are applying for more than six months (not counting undergraduate study abroad) are preferred;
• Candidates who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces will be given preference, provided their qualifications are approximately equivalent to those of other candidates; &
• For most programs, applicants who have had extensive, recent previous experience in the host country are at a disadvantage but are still eligible to apply.

Fulbright is a highly competitive national grant, and so it is important that applicants work with their campus Fulbright Program Advisor (FPA) closely to produce a quality application. Please note: candidates may apply “At Large,” which means without the support of the campus FPA and Fulbright Committee, but it is highly recommended to lean on this support system. SMCM alumni may request assistance from St. Mary’s FPA even after they have graduated.

Contacts:
Jennifer Cognard-Black, Director of Student Fellowships & Awards and FPA: jcognard@smcm.edu

Aurora Margarita-Goldkamp, Director of International Education: amargaritagoldkamp@smcm.edu