David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies

Funding was not renewed for this program; this grant is no longer available at BYU.

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Graduate Student Fellowships

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded funds to Brigham Young University’s Center for the Study of Europe to support two types of fellowships for graduate students who wish to combine language study with their graduate program.

FLAS academic-year fellowships are awarded to new or continuing graduate students in the social sciences, humanities, arts, and professional schools who are willing to combine additional language study in a European language and in area studies focused on Europe with their normal graduate course of study. The grant pays full tuition plus a $14,500 stipend for living expenses.

FLAS summer grants provide support for students to complete one year’s work through an intensive-language course in the summer. The grant pays full tuition plus a $2,500 stipend for living expenses.

2005–06 FLAS, Christopher Lewis, Ben Eliason, Jeff Hardy, Shane Peterson, Professor James Lyon, Karen Hill, Stacy Giauque, and Julie Bills.

2004–05 FLAS, Professor Jamie Lyon with recipients: Spencer Viernes (JD), Melissa Humes (MBA), Joseph Baumgarten (MA/Ger. lit.), Katie Tuft (MA/humanities), Jonathan McCollum (MA/European hist., Ger. emp.), Heidi Wilde (MPA), Benjamin Johnson (MA/hist., European emp.), Leona Fisher (MA/English), and James Krause (MA/Port. lit.).

2003–04 FLAS recipients: Ryan Beckstrom (MAcct.), John Fowles (JD), Shari Grossarth (MPA), David Jeppesen (MPA), Elizabeth Christensen (PhD/inst. pysch and tech), Bethany Beyer (MA/com. lit.), and David Neslen (MSW).

Call for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship Applications for 2006–07 Academic Year

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded funds to Brigham Young University’s Center for the Study of Europe to support two types of fellowships for graduate students who wish to combine language study with their graduate program.

1. ACADEMIC YEAR “FLAS” FELLOWSHIPS

A. Description

Up to six (6) fellowships will be awarded for graduate students in any field who combine foreign language study and international area studies with their regular graduate program. Though it is not required, these fellowships are intended to encourage students to consider entering public or government service. In addition to paying full tuition, each fellowship provides a stipend of $14,500 a year for living expenses. Given this level of support and the special demands it makes on students who are already enrolled in a graduate program, it is expected that during the academic year fellowship recipients will devote themselves to full-time academic work in their chosen foreign language, in selected international area studies courses, and in their own graduate program of study.

B. General Requirements

Fellowship recipients must be either U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. They must also be enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) as full-time graduate students at BYU. In order to qualify for this fellowship, as part of their graduate program they must take at least one course during each of the two semesters in an approved European language (see below). In addition, they must also take an approved area studies course each semester in the student’s own discipline, or in another approved discipline that offers international area studies courses.

C. Language and Area Studies Requirements

Recipients must enroll for two semesters of work in any one of the following European languages: Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Icelandic, Swedish, Welsh. Advanced Italian (300 level or higher); Advanced Portuguese (300 level or higher); Business French; Business German, Business Italian, and Business Spanish are also acceptable. If other European languages, e.g. modern Greek or Catalan, are offered at BYU during the fellowship year, they, too, may be used for this requirement.
Fellowship recipients with existing foreign language skills in one of the above languages may take advanced language acquisition, cultural, or literature courses in that specific language. They may also sign up for one year of courses in another language that they do not already know, or that they know only on an elementary level.
Applicants should choose area studies courses that complement their language study. In some cases, the area studies courses can be from the student’s own graduate program.

Application Process

To apply, the following items are necessary:

1. Completed application form. A PDF of the 2006–07 Academic Year FLAS Application is available under Related Items.
2. A statement of purpose. Your personal statement, written in twelve-point type or larger. This statement should not exceed two double-spaced pages. In it you should describe briefly your proposed course of study, your goal in pursuing it, how your previous language study and overall educational background has prepared you for the course(s) you plan to take, career objectives if you have formulated them, and the importance of language and international or European studies in your graduate study.
3. Two letters of recommendation. Two letters of recommendation that support the information provided in your personal statement must be included. Letters should be no longer than one page. Please have those who write recommendations for you sign the sealed flap of the envelope containing the letter and return it to you. You should then submit it with your completed application.
4. Transcripts. Transcripts of all post-secondary and graduate work must be submitted.
5. Graduate Admission test scores. The score from the standardized test you took for admission to your graduate program (e.g., GRE, LSAT, GMAT, or other test accepted by your graduate program) must be supplied by your graduate program office.

Deadline

Applications for the 2006–07 Academic Year FLAS Fellowships must be received at the Center for the Study of Europe, 216 HRCB (Kennedy Center) by 6 February 2006. Incomplete applications may not be considered.

Notification Procedures

Recipients of the 2006–07 FLAS Academic Year Fellowships will be notified no later than Tuesday, 28 February 2006.

For Further Information

If you have questions, you may direct them to Brenda Wadley, administrative assistant in the Center for the Study of Europe.

Call for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship Applications for Summer 2006

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded funds to Brigham Young University’s Center for the Study of Europe to support two types of fellowships for graduate students who wish to combine language study with their graduate program.

1. SUMMER LANGUAGE “FLAS” FELLOWSHIPS

A. Description
A number of fellowships will be available for formal programs of intensive summer language study, which is understood to mean courses requiring four or more hours a day in the classroom (140 contact hours for beginning and intermediate language instruction, or 120 contact hours for advanced language instruction). These fellowships provide full tuition for the program plus a stipend of $2,400 for the summer. If qualifying foreign language courses are offered at BYU, students must take them on campus. Otherwise they may select an intensive language acquisition program elsewhere in the U.S., or in Europe if they are seeking to learn a less commonly taught European language that is not available in the U.S. If the intensive language course that a fellowship holder wants is outside Provo, a travel allowance (not to exceed $1,000) can also be made available.

B. General Requirements
Summer Language Fellows must be either U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. They must also be enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) as full-time graduate students at BYU. Since the intent of this program is to promote language acquisition, most fellowship holders will take courses at a beginning or advanced beginning level. Those students who are already at an intermediate or advanced level of language learning would take skill-acquisition courses in that language at a higher level than they have already achieved. At the beginning level, languages eligible for study are: Catalan, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Modern Greek, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, Welsh, and Non-Indo-European minority languages spoken in Europe (e.g., Arabic, Turkish). For students already fluent in one European language, funding is also available for intensive summer language courses in another European language, namely: French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, or any less commonly taught language used in Europe.

Application Process

To apply, the following items are necessary:
1. Completed application form. A PDF of the 2006 Summer FLAS Application is available under Related Items.
2. A statement of purpose, written in twelve-point type or larger. This statement should not exceed two double-spaced pages. In it you should describe briefly your proposed course of study, your goal in pursuing it, how your previous language study and overall educational background has prepared you for the course(s) you plan to take, career objectives if you have formulated them, and the importance of language and international or European studies in your graduate study.
3. Two letters of recommendation. Two letters of recommendation that support the information provided in your personal statement must be included. Letters should be no longer than one page. Please have those who write recommendations for you sign the sealed flap of the envelope containing the letter and return it to you. You should then submit it with your completed application.
4. Transcripts. Transcripts of all post-secondary and graduate work must be submitted.
5. Graduate Admission test scores. The score from the standardized test you took for admission to your graduate program (e.g., GRE, LSAT, GMAT, or other test accepted by your graduate program) must be supplied by your graduate program office.

Deadline

Applications for the FLAS Summer Language Learning Fellowships must be received at the Center for the Study of Europe, 216 HRCB (Kennedy Center) no later than 1:00 P.M. Monday, 5 December 2005. Incomplete applications may not be considered.

Notification Procedures

Recipients of the Summer 2006 Language Learning Fellowship will be notified no later than Friday, 16 December 2005.

For Further Information

If you have questions, you may direct them to Brenda Wadley, administrative assistant in the Center for the Study of Europe, 216 HRCB.