Graduate Student Global Resources

There are a number of global experience opportunities and funding available to graduate students within the School of Foreign Service. Some of these opportunities or scholarships are specific and internal to a program, some can be course-specific, some can be open to Georgetown students outside SFS, and some entirely external. We strongly encourage you to reach out to individual initiatives to confirm the specifics and to get the latest information. The following brief is a good starting point.

Master of Science in Foreign Service:

2024 Raisina-IE Global Student Challenge: Fully funded trip to India   

Observer Research Foundation (ORF), one of India’s leading think tanks, organizes the Raisina Dialogue. It is India’s flagship annual conference on geopolitics and geo-economics. The initiative will engage exceptional graduate students from top universities across all continents by collaborating in teams to address a policy challenge. MSFS students have previously been nominated to participate. It will likely be a three week of commitment in Feb-March (mostly online) and a one-week immersive experience in India with travel and accommodation costs in Delhi fully covered by Raisina.

+ External website – https://www.orfonline.org/event/2024-raisina-ie-global-student-challenge

+ Georgetown website – internal opportunity, not published
+ Contact – Matt Wootten, Assistant Director of Academic & Faculty Affairs. mw1475@george town.edu / msfsinfo@georgetown.edu 

Kakehashi Project: Fully funded trip to Japan 

The purpose of the Kakehashi Program is to promote Japanese relations. The Kakehashi Program wishes to invite participants who are interested in and open minded about Japan, and who may be inclined to promote Japan either formally or informally. This opportunity is only open to U.S. citizens. The program typically selects 4-5 MSFS students each year and fully covers round trip economy class tickets, overseas travel insurance, accommodation, transportation and meals. Applications are due in October/ November and the trip is in January.

+ External website – none
+ Georgetown website – internal opportunity, not published
+ Contact – Matt Wootten, Assistant Director of Academic & Faculty Affairs – mw1475@george town.edu / msfsinfo@georgetown.edu 

MSFS Summer Funding:     

Students may use these funds to compensate for unpaid or low paid opportunities domestically or internationally. For the summer of 2024, stipends amounting to a maximum of $3,500 per student were disbursed. The stipend amount and the number of students vary each year depending on available funds. Applications open in the fall semester.

+ Contact – msfsinfo@georgetown.edu 

Master of Arts in Security Studies:

SSP Summer Funding:

Students may use these funds to do language study abroad or to attend international professional conferences. Stipends vary and may not fully cover the cost of the opportunity. Applications open in April each year.
+ Contact – Alzbeta.findlay@georgetown.edu

Masters in Global Human Development:

GHD International Summer Internship – Low/Middle Income Country   

GHD students complete a 10-12 week internship in a low-to-middle-income country during the summer between their first and second year in the program. GHD provides extensive support during the internship search process, and has numerous official internship partners. Students are also able to obtain internships with non-partner organizations whose work aligns with their interests. Georgetown covers flights to and from their internship locations, and provides living stipends for students whose internships are unpaid.

+Website – https://ghd.georgetown.edu/academics/co-curricular/summer-internships/ 

+Contact – ghdinfo@georgetown.edu | keb65@georgetown.edu 

Masters of Arts in Arab Studies:

MAAS Summer Funding 

MAAS students have the opportunity in the summer between their first and second years to have global experiences to study, research or work abroad. Summer grants of up to $3,500 (subject to change every year) are available. MAAS students may apply for grants to support thesis research, internships, and language study in the summer.

+Website – https://ccas.georgetown.edu/admissions/finaid/

+Contact – maas@georgetown.edu

Conference Travel Grants

These are offered by the Graduate School. These grants may be used toward travel and other expenses associated with participation in a professional meeting, and may be requested in advance or retroactive one semester. The maximum award amount is $500. MAAS recipients may apply for supplemental funding from CCAS to help with transportation and accommodations associated with the conference. Usually, around two to three students per year are awarded these grants.

+ Website – link
+ Contact – maas@georgetown.edu 

Masters of Arts in Asian Studies:

The Barkanic Award: 

Open to both graduate and undergraduate students, the Barkanic Award was founded in memory of Georgetown alumnus, Peter Patrick Barkanic (SFS’80). The award provides financial support of up to $1,000 for living and/or travel expenses for a student participating in an internship or language study program in Asia. Applications will open early in the spring semester and the awards granted in late spring/ May. Keep an eye on their website for up-to-date information.

+ Website – https://asianstudies.georgetown.edu/academics/opportunities/awards/

+ Contact – Robert.Lyons@georgetown.edu | asianstudies@georgetown.edu

MASIA-exclusive Internship in Honolulu, Hawaii: 

It is an opportunity to travel outside the continental United States to intern at the Pacific Forum in Honolulu, Hawaii. Typically calls for applications are sent early in the spring semester for MASIA students only. The deadline is usually early March. Finalists are forwarded on to the Pacific Forum for the final selection.

+ External Website – https://pacforum.org/

+ Contact – Robert.Lyons@georgetown.edu | asianstudies@georgetown.edu

Henry Chen Memorial Scholarship: 

Open to both graduate and undergraduate students, the Henry Chen Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually by the Georgetown University Asian Studies Faculty to a student who exemplifies the qualities and ideals to which Professor Chen’s life was devoted. The $500 scholarship supports overseas study of Chinese language and culture. Applications will open early in the spring semester and awards will be granted in late spring. Keep an eye on their website for up to date information.

+ Website – https://asianstudies.georgetown.edu/academics/opportunities/awards/

+ Contact – Robert.Lyons@georgetown.edu | asianstudies@georgetown.edu

Other internship/fellowship opportunities:

There could be other international internship/fellowship opportunities that may be facilitated through the MASIA program, but are not published publicly. For further information, students may directly reach out to the program.

+ Contact – Robert.Lyons@georgetown.edu | asianstudies@georgetown.edu

Masters of Arts in Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies:

MAERES Summer Funding:

Students may use these funds to study language abroad or to conduct capstone projects abroad. Stipends vary and may not fully cover the cost of the opportunities. Open to MAERES first year students only. Apply in March of each year.

+ Website – internal
+ Contact – Lisa.Gordinier@georgetown.edu | ceres@georgetown.edu

Masters of Arts in Latin American Studies:

Summer program for graduate students interested in Latin America & the Caribbean:  

The Center for Latin American Studies offers an academic summer program for graduate students interested in Latin America and the Caribbean. The program is three or six credits and the cost is the tuition for the credits plus a mandatory international insurance charge.  As part of this program, CLAS works to pair students with professional internships in the region.  SFS students who take advantage of the internship option are thereby eligible for their program’s SFS opportunity funds.

+ Website – internal
+ Contact – Julie.McMurtry@georgetown.edu | clas@georgetown.edu

Student research:

The Center for Latin American Studies offers competitive funding for student research and applications are reviewed each semester.

+ Website – internal
+ Contact – Julie.McMurtry@georgetown.edu | clas@georgetown.edu

Masters of Arts in International Business and Policy:

Two international course modules:         

The MA-IBP curriculum includes six one-week in-person modules, and two of these modules take place internationally (with the remaining four taking place on campus). The international module destinations have been Frankfurt, Germany and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in past years, and this coming year (in May 2025) Frankfurt will be replaced by Brussels, Belgium. The Vietnam module is scheduled for August 2024. Merit scholarships awarded through the admissions process apply toward tuition for all modules.

+ Website – internal, see student experience blog here, visit program page here
+ Contact – ma.ibp@georgetown.edu 

The Critical Languages Institute/Melikian Center:

CLI does not charge tuition (in-state or out-of-state) for its credit-bearing courses. They charge a flat administrative fee for all languages and additional fees may apply for study-abroad programs. The Critical Languages Institute offers several scholarships to graduate, undergraduate, and non-student applicants. The application for scholarship is embedded in the CLI application. Deadline is January of each year.

+ Website – https://melikian.asu.edu/cli/funding

+ Email – CLI@asu.edu | melikian@asu.edu 

Diverse International Women of Color (DIWC) Scholarship:

DIWC awards $500 scholarships to women of color who have been accepted to an In-Person Study Abroad Program. The number of recipients vary each cycle. The application and deadline for Spring 2025 programs can be found on their website. Approximately, the application period for Fall is June/July, Spring is October/November and Summer is March/April.

+ Website – https://diwcfund.org/diwc-scholarship/
+ Email – diverseinternationalwomenofcolor@yahoo.com

Project Global Officer:

Open to any U.S. citizen who is a graduate or undergraduate student on track to commission  through the Army, Naval, or Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), contracted or non-contracted, at a regionally accredited college or university in the United States. Marine Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) students are also eligible. Project Global Officer provides full scholarships for ROTC students in approved summer language programs in the U.S. and overseas. Deadlines are usually in January every year.

+ Website – https://www.rotcprojectgo.org/

+ Email – not available

American Council for International Education:

The Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP) is one of the longest-running and most respected Russian language and cultural immersion programs, which includes regional field studies, international volunteer opportunities and community service. This program is hosted in several host universities in countries like Kazakhstan, Georgia and Armenia. Summer program deadlines are usually January/February, fall deadlines in March and spring deadlines in October. Financial aid and American Council scholarships including the Fulbright-Hays Scholarship of up to $9,000 and the Diversity & Inclusion Scholarships up to $2,500 are available for prospective study abroad participants. Find detailed information on their website.

+ Website – https://www.studyabroad.americancouncils.org/rlasp

+ Email – not available

Boren Fellowship:

The Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP) is  one of the longest-running fellowships. The National Security Education Program’s David L. Boren Graduate Fellowships offer study abroad opportunities for graduate students interested in geographic areas, languages and other fields of study underrepresented in study abroad and critical to U.S. national security broadly defined. The deadline is January of each year. Over the last four years, around six to ten SFS graduate students have been recipients. Funding of up to $25,000 to $30,000 per year depending on award type and travel is available.

+ Website – https://grad.georgetown.edu/prog-req-inst-endorse/boren/

+ Email – Elizabeth George (elizabeth.george@georgetown.edu), Campus Representative for the Boren Graduate Fellowship Program

Semester abroad at Sciences Po in Paris, France:   

The BMW Center for German and European Studies will manage this opportunity that is expected to start in Fall 2025. More information will be available.

+ External website – none

+ Georgetown website – internal opportunity, not published

+ Contact – Christina Ruby, Associate Director, BMW Center for German and European Studies, cges@georgetown.edu