Fulbright Scholarship now open to applications from Malaysian graduates

Want to be considered in the same class as heads of state, Nobel Prize winners and Pulitzer Prize recipients?

One way you could jump-start a career as luminous as the above is to join the same scholarship scheme as them: the Fulbright Scholarship Program.

Administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) on behalf of the United States’ Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the program aims to improve relations between the US and the rest of the world through international education exchange.

If you’re a Malaysian and would like to try for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to study in some of the most prestigious American universities, you’re in luck. The Fulbright Malaysian Graduate Study and Research Program is now open for application.

The grant award opportunity is offered to those pursuing graduate-level study (Masters or PhD degrees) in the US for the 2019-2020 academic year.

Note that the grants are awarded for one academic year. While efforts will be made to retain funding level from the first to the second year, any subsequent renewal is subject to the approval by the J William Fulbright Foreign Scholarships Board and are not automatically renewed.

These general areas of study will be given preference, though highly qualified applicants from others fields of study will also be considered:

• American Studies
• Malaysian Studies
• Islamic Studies
• Comparative Religion
• Economics and Technology Transfer
• Issues in Contemporary Society
• International Relations

Bangladeshi economist and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus is one the program’s most prominent alumni. Source: AFP/Ludovic Martin

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be a Malaysian citizen, in good health, available for interview in Kuala Lumpur and be prepared to return to Malaysia immediately upon completion of study. Education-wise, applicants must have the following:

• A Bachelor’s degree with Honors and a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or equivalent;
• A TOEFL score of at least 100 (iBT) on a test taken no more than two years prior to the time of application (note: certain fields and/or institutions may require a higher score);
• A GMAT or GRE subject test with the minimum score required by your institution of choice.

Full details can be found on the 2019 Graduate Study and Research program page. The application form can be found here and all completed applications must be mailed to the Malaysian-American Commission on Educational Exchange (MACEE) by August 10, 2018.

Liked this? Then you’ll love…

Cambridge commits to refugee scholarship scheme

#YouAreWelcomeHere to offer scholarships to US-bound students