Fulbright Scholarship for MS/PhD in USA 2020-21

The Fulbright Masters and PhD Program funds graduate study in the United States for a Master’s or Ph.D. degree. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), these grants cover tuition, required textbooks, airfare, a living stipend, and health insurance. USEFP also assists with the visa process.

For the Masters degree program, eligible candidates will have either a four-year Bachelor’s degree or a Bachelor’s and Master’s combination totaling 16 years of formal education from an accredited university. Recent graduates are strongly encouraged to apply, except for MBA and Public Policy/Administration applicants, who require 2 years of work experience.

For the PhD degree program, eligible applicants will have a Master’s, M.Phil or comparable degree (a minimum of 18 years of formal education) from an accredited university. It is highly desirable that candidates have work experience in teaching, research, or the public sector in Pakistan.

For both the Masters and PhD programs, all academic disciplines are eligible, except clinical medicine. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for all applicants. Under the new scoring system, minimum scores of 138 in the verbal and 136 in the quantitative sections are required. Applicants must also possess a high level of fluency in spoken and written English. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) will be required from all the selected candidates.

All successful candidates are required to sign a contract with USEFP and, for successful Ph.D. candidates, a bond with the HEC that binds them to return to Pakistan immediately after their program in the U.S. and serve the country for the number of years equivalent to the length of their scholarship program. This contract is redeemable on a year-for-year basis minimum of two years; as long as a person fulfills the service requirement, he or she will pay nothing.

Fulbright Application Cycle

Applications are accepted each year in February and the deadline to submit application is around May. The application review and interview process continues until September and the results are announced in mid-October. After selection, the university submission and placement process continues until February and visa interviews take place until June. The departure to the U.S. commences in July and onwards, depending on the universities reporting dates.

Fulbright Scholarship Eligibility Criteria

Pakistani citizens, residing and working in Pakistan, with strong academic histories in all disciplines except clinical medicine are welcome to apply.

In addition to academic work, persons selected for Fulbright programs are expected to share information about Pakistani life and culture with their U.S. colleagues and with community groups in the U.S. On returning to Pakistan, Fulbright grantees are expected to share their U.S. experiences with colleagues and community groups in Pakistan. Successful candidates should be poised to assume leadership positions in their fields and must be committed to returning and serving Pakistan.

Ineligibility

• Persons with a dual U.S./Pakistan nationality or those having a spouse, parent, fiancé or child over 18 years of age who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Employees of the Fulbright organization or the U.S. Department of State and their spouses, fiancés, siblings, dependents, children and parents. For programs funded by their agencies, employees of USAID or the HEC and their spouses, fiancés, siblings, dependents, children and parents.
• As a general matter, preference for Fulbright student opportunities will be given to candidates who have not previously received a Fulbright student grant.
• Persons already studying in the U.S. or on a work/residence visa in any country.

How to apply

A complete application package includes:

• An application form
• Three reference letters
• Your GRE score report and
• Scanned transcripts, including an explanation of the grading scale of the university issuing the degree should be uploaded. Please note that HEC-attested documents are preferable with the application but degree and transcripts attested by the issuing authority will be acceptable at the time of application.