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Educational Exchange

Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program

The Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.  It is designed to foster democratization and the transition to market economies in Eurasia through intensive academic and professional training. 

Applicants that are selected as Muskie graduate fellows will be enrolled in graduate degree, certificate, and non‑degree programs lasting one to two academic years in the fields of:

  • Business Administration
  • Economics
  • Law
  • Public Administration
  • Public Policy
  • Education
  • Environmental Management
  • International Affairs
  • Library And Information Science
  • Journalism/Mass Communications
  • Public Health

Fellowships are awarded to outstanding young and mid-career individuals from participating countries.  Fellows will be placed in U.S. institutions of higher education based on recommendations of the selection committees. 

While both degree and non-degree fellowships are available, fellows are not guaranteed their choice of program.  Placements are made based on the best match of fellow to program and not on the basis of whether or not a degree is granted. 

Technical Eligibility Requirements

Candidates will be considered without respect to race, color, religion, national origin, disability, or gender. Competition for the Muskie Program is merit-based and open to anyone who:

  • Is a citizen, national, or permanent resident qualified to hold a valid passport issued by the country of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan,Turkmenistan, Ukraine, or Uzbekistan;
  • Is the recipient of an undergraduate degree (four- or five-year study) by the time of the application (undergraduate degree must be in law in order to apply to the Muskie Program in the field of law);
  • Submits a complete application and two copies (for a total of three) by the application deadline (or submits the online application);
  • Is able to begin the academic exchange program in the United States in the summer of 2010;
  • Is able to receive and maintain a US J-1 visa. 

Individuals in the following circumstances are NOT eligible for the Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program: 

  • US citizens and permanent residents of the United States;
  • Spouses of US citizens and permanent residents of the United States;
  • Individuals currently participating in academic, training, or research programs in the United States;
  • Individuals who have already been recipients of and participated in the Muskie Fellowship;
  • Individuals currently residing or working outside the 12 participating countries;
  • Individuals who have participated in an exchange visitor program sponsored or funded by the US government (e.g., Public Affairs Sections at US embassies or other US government agency) for a period of more than six weeks and who have not fulfilled their two-year home residency requirement by the time of application;
  • Individuals who have applied for US permanent residency in the past three years;
  • Local employees of US missions abroad who work for the US Department of State are ineligible for grants during the period of their employment and for one year following the termination of employment;
  • Immediate family members (i.e., spouses and dependent children) of US Department of State employees for a period of one year following the termination of such employment. This provision does not disqualify self-supporting members of families who live apart from their parents;
  • Persons arrested for, charged with, or convicted of a crime as further detailed by ECA;

The deadline for the 2010-2011 Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program Application has already passed. Check back in 2010 for details on next year’s program.

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