Flagship Fellowships

“To solve most of the major problems facing our country today — from wiping out terrorism to minimizing global environmental problems to eliminating the scourge of AIDS — will require every young person to learn more about other regions, cultures, and languages.”

—Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, “Closing the K-12 International Knowledge Gap: Putting the World into World Class,” Asia Society, 2003

The National Security Education Program (NSEP) offers a limited number of Flagship Fellowships to qualified American students interested in receiving full financial support to participate in The Language Flagship. Flagship Fellowships are available to support students participating in graduate Flagship programs in Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Persian.

The Flagship Fellowship is structured as a two-year award intended to support the intensive domestic and overseas components of The Language Flagship. Flagship Fellows will participate in one year of domestic study and a second year of immersion overseas.

Flagship Fellows are expected to devote full-time effort to The Language Flagship. Flagship Fellows may not pursue requirements of other degree programs while receiving Flagship Fellowship support, nor may Flagship Fellowships be combined with other sources of funding that would require Flagship Fellows to devote less than full-time effort to the Flagship Language program.

Applicants for Flagship Fellowships must apply separately to be admitted to a specific Flagship program.

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Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a Flagship Fellowship one must meet the following requirements:

1. U.S. citizenship at the time of application
2. Minimum proficiency of Advanced Low* or level 2 (as defined by ILR) in the appropriate foreign language
3. Minimum proficiency of Superior* or level 3 (as defined by ILR) in all modalities of English
4. Completed undergraduate degree by the time the Flagship program and Fellowship begin
5. Enrolled in a Flagship degree granting Master's program
6. Not employed by the U.S. government

*Defined by the American Councils on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Visit http://www.languagetesting.com/gov_opi.htm to conduct a language self assessment.

Recipients of Boren Scholarships or Fellowships are eligible and are encouraged to apply for Flagship Fellowships.

Flagship Fellowship Support

Flagship Fellowships are monetary awards that provide support for academic expenses directly associated with participation in The Language Flagship. Academic expenses include tuition, a modest stipend for living expenses, health insurance coverage, and support for travel costs.

The living stipend is based on reasonable costs associated with the location of each Flagship Program. Total Flagship Fellowship award amounts will vary by individual depending upon the specific composition and duration of the program. Flagship Fellowship cannot include additional support for dependents.

Service Requirement

The service requirement is an opportunity for returning Flagship Fellows to gain valuable experience by working in the federal government in areas related to international affairs and national security. We especially encourage applications from students interested in federal government careers, and we also welcome others who wish to make a significant contribution to the nation.

Flagship Fellows may elect to satisfy the service requirement by accepting suitable paid or unpaid full-time, part-time, temporary, and/or internship positions.

Under this requirement, an award recipient must seek work in the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, State, or the Intelligence Community after graduation. In some instances, the Fellow may fulfill this obligation by working in any U.S. federal department or agency with national security responsibilities.

There is also an expectation that Flagship Fellows will use the language or regional expertise acquired as a result of the award as they fulfill their service requirement.

Flagship Fellows must begin to fulfill the service requirement within two years after completing the Flagship program.

Contact

National Security Education Program
The Language Flagship
Institute of International Education
1400 K Street, NW
6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005-2403
Telephone: 1-800-618-NSEP
Fax: 202-326-7672
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Flagship Fellowship Programs

The Flagship Fellowship provides support for graduate study of Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Persian. Most institutions award a Master’s degree or a Certificate to students who successfully complete the requirements of their Flagship program.

There are domestic and overseas components for each Flagship program. The domestic programs are structured to feed directly into the overseas programs. Applicants who are awarded Flagship Fellowships are required to participate in both components.

Arabic
Domestic: University of Maryland, College Park
Overseas: Damascus University in Damascus, Syria (administered by the University of Maryland)

Korean
Domestic: University of Hawaii, Manoa
Overseas: Korea University in Seoul, Korea (administered by the University of Hawaii, Manoa)

Mandarin
Domestic: Ohio State University
Overseas: Nanjing University in Nanjing, China (administered by Brigham Young University); Qingdao University in Qingdao, China (administered by Ohio State University)

Persian
Domestic: University of Maryland, College Park
Overseas: Dushanbe Language Center and Tajik State National University in Dushanbe, Tajikistan (administered by American Councils for International Education)