Scholarship Overview

• The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships are designed for highly motivated individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership qualities.

Applicable course, university and country

This scholarship is applicable for Masters Degree

This scholarship is applicable for all universities in USA

• Each applicant must choose one field of study that matches their main area of interest. The following field descriptions are illustrative, and applicants should note that individual academic host institution programs of study may differ in course offerings, subspecialties, and academic requirements.
• Applications are invited in the following fields only:
  • Economics: The study of production, demand, and allocation of resources in society, economic trends, and effects of government economic policy on the economy. Subspecialties include development economics, international economics, macroeconomics, microeconomics, labor economics, agricultural economics, and public finance, among others.
  • Environmental Science/Studies: The study of the environment in all its complexities. Subspecialties include environmental toxicology, natural resource management, pollution prevention, environmental law, environmental engineering, and environmental policy analysis, among others.
  • Higher Education Administration: The study of all aspects of higher education administration including policy planning and management, student affairs, academic affairs, admissions and enrolment management, curriculum design, learning assessment, financial management, alumni and community relations, internationalization of higher education, quality assurance, and use of technology in higher education, among others.
  • International Legal Studies:The study of all aspects of international legal studies including business law, commercial and trade law, employment and labor law, environmental law, global health law, human rights, intellectual property rights and law, international organizations, securities and financial regulations, litigation law, and tax law, among others.
  • Journalism and Mass Communication:The study of all aspects of mass communication, including individual and convergent media platforms such as print, broadcast and new media. Sub-specialties include media management, and communications research and strategy. Subspecialties include media management, print journalism, online journalism, broadcast (radio, television, internet) journalism, and communications research and strategy among others.
  • Public Health:The study of all aspects of public health including biostatistics, environmental and occupational health, epidemiology, health law, bioethics and human rights, health policy and management, public health delivery systems, international health, and reproductive, maternal and child health, among others.
  • Sustainable Development/Sustainability: The study of all aspects of sustainability, including environmental protection, environmental law and policy, affordable and clean energy, sustainable resource management, green technologies, social equity, water resources policy and watershed management, natural ecosystems and biodiversity, urban planning and sustainable cities, sustainable products and services, efficient resource use and equitable distribution, among others.
  • Urban and Regional Planning:The study of all aspects of urban and regional planning, including sustainable infrastructure, transportation policy, planning and improvements, water and sanitation, town and rural planning, equitability, public space programming and governance, land use, community visioning, urban resilience, housing and real estate development, and waste management, among others.

 

Scholarship amount details

Scholarship amount can be used for

Type of Expense	Indicates if scholarship can be used for this type of expense
Tuition & Fees	✔Scholarship amount can be used for this
Living Expense	✔Scholarship amount can be used for this
Accommodation	×Not covered in scholarship
Air Fare/Travel Expenses	✔Scholarship amount can be used for this
Spouse/Child Care	×Not covered in scholarship
Health Cover	✔Scholarship amount can be used for this
Application	×Not covered in scholarship
Others	✔Scholarship amount can be used for this

• These fellowships are awarded for up to two years to pursue a master’s degree at U.S. colleges and universities.

• The fellowship will provide J-1 visa support, round-trip economy class air travel from fellow’s home city to the host institution in the U.S., funding for tuition and fees, living and related costs, and accident and sickness coverage per U.S. Government guidelines.

• USIEF funding may not cover all costs and the fellow may need to supplement grant benefits with other resources.

Student Awards

Number of students to be awarded: Varies

Scholarship Eligibility

Special Restrictions

• No Special Restriction applicable

Exams Details

Exam name	Indicates if exam is required and cutoff (if any)
TOEFL	Required
12	Required
UG	Required (minimum score 55.0%)
Work Experience	Required (minimum 3 years)

Eligibility

• Applicants must have completed the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree, have at least three years professional work experience, and are committed to return and contribute to their communities in India.

• In addition to the General Prerequisites, the applicant:

  • Must have completed an equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree from a recognized Indian university with at least 55% marks. Applicants must either possess a four-year bachelor's degree or a completed master's degree; or a full-time postgraduate diploma from a recognized Indian institution, if the bachelor's degree is of less than four years' duration;
  • Must have at least three years' full-time (paid) professional work experience relevant to the proposed field of study by the application deadline;
  • Should demonstrate experience in leadership and community service;
  • Must not have another degree from a U.S. university or be enrolled in a U.S. degree program; and
  • If employed, should follow the instructions carefully regarding employer’s endorsement. If applicable, obtain the endorsement from the appropriate administrative authority on the FNMasters Employer’s Endorsement Form. The employer must indicate that leave will be granted for the fellowship period.
  • Employees of the Government of India and Indian State Governments are not eligible for any Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships. This includes civil servants in central services (such as IAS, IPS, IRS, IFS, and allied services), state government services (including state civil services), and bureaucratic staff employed in central and state ministries or departments.

Application Process for this scholarship

Application Documents

Type of documents	Indicates if this type of document is required to be submitted
LOR	Required
CV	Required
Work Experience	Required
Official transcripts	Required

• LOR: 3 references are required
• Personal Statement: This personal statement should be a narrative statement describing how you have achieved your current goals
• CV: The curriculum vitae describes academic credentials and demonstrates a record of scholarly achievements (document should not exceed four (4) pages
• Upload scanned photocopies of proof of work/professional experience
• TOEFL/ GRE test score
• Upload study plan/research objectives
• Upload scanned copies of mark sheets or transcripts and diploma/degree certificates
• Upload the passport bio pages (pages with photo, name, passport number, date of issue and validity, etc 
• If employed, should follow the instructions carefully regarding the employer’s endorsement. If applicable, obtain the endorsement from the appropriate administrative authority on the FNMasters Employer’s Endorsement Form. The employer must indicate that leave will be granted for the fellowship period
• If the applicant has letters of admission, letters of invitation, deferral requests, or other correspondence from a school, especially a preferred program, please forward a copy (not the original) of this correspondence to masters@usief.org.in
• Application Process: Applications must be submitted online
• Placement of successful candidates is done by the Institute of International Education (IIE), New York. Recommended applicants are not required to apply to U.S. institutions on their own. IIE/Fulbright Program will apply to four different institutions on their behalf, taking into consideration the candidates’ preferred institutions and the candidates’ competitiveness. If a recommended candidate has previously applied to U.S. institutions and has requested a deferral from the institution, the candidate must notify USIEF immediately

Scholarship Application

This scholarship needs a separate external application.

Important Dates

	Date	Additional Details
Application final end date	Not Available	Deadline has been passed
Other Important Dates	Not Available	Timeline and Placement Process March/April 2026 USIEF notifies the finalists about the FFSB approval May/June 2026 Pre-Departure Orientation July/August 2026 Pre-academic training in the U.S. (if required) August/September 2026 Degree program begins

Please note that these dates could be in local country times and may not be IST (Indian standard time).

Contact email

masters@usief.org.in