GENERAL INFORMATION

    This is an incredibly generous scholarship administered by the United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corporation.Funded by the U. S. department of Education, this program seeks to create a more diverse talent pool of well-trained, language-proficient professionals who will contribute their talents to U. S. international affairs agencies and organizations.

    An award may be deferred for up to one year immediately after graduation to allow students to engage in volunteer or other activities before graduate school.  Students winning such other awards as Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall or other scholarships are also allowed to defer the start of the Beinecke until those experiences have been completed.  The funds must be expended within five years; they may be used to supplement other sources of support to the extent permitted by the host graduate school.

The Sophomore Summer Policy Institute (SSPI) is hosted by Spelman College, one of the premier liberal arts institutions in the country and a pioneer among historically black colleges and universities where international education is concerned. The SSPI introduces Fellows to international affairs as a field of study and lays the foundation for productive study abroad and Junior Summer Policy Institute experiences.

The program covers international relations (security, development, economics and trade), the mechanics of writing, cultural competence, statistics and career development. To assist Fellows in putting into context what they learn at the SSPI, they participate in a study mission to Washington, D.C. and New York, for briefings on Capitol Hill, at the Department of State, CIA, with institutions like the Council on Foreign Relations and the United Nations, and Wall Street.

Study Abroad in Junior Year. UNCFSP insists that fellows have at least one experience studying and living abroad experience is almost a prerequisite to a successful international service career. Without the language and cultural immersion that should accompany overseas study of a semester or more (as required by IIPP), one can hardly consider an international service professional equipped for effectiveness in today’s global environment. Fellows complete a Study Abroad Profile listing their countries and programs of interest. During SSPI, fellows have a full day orientation session on overseas study and meet one-on-one with assigned IIPP Study Abroad Consultants expert in advising minority students to discuss program selection and to prepare a study abroad budget.

Junior Summer Policy Institute (JSPI). Fellows attend the eight-week institute at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy during the summer following overseas study. The JSPI is designed to prepare fellows for the rigor of graduate programs in international affairs through an intensive program of skills assessment and development in policy analysis, quantitative and communication skills and to assist fellows in their preparation for the graduate school application process.

Summer Language Institute. The UNCFSP philosophy on foreign language is that it is a must that today’s international service professional be conversant in at least one foreign language. Accordingly, IIPP has made language training a critical component of the fellowship. Fellows without previously established language competency are required to participate in an intensive language-training program during the summer following their senior year. Most fellows study at the Middlebury College Language Schools in Vermont.

Internship. Internships provide valuable job experience that strengthens graduate school applications, bolsters professional credentials, and further prepares fellows for international careers. UNCFSP has negotiated dozens of internship placements—some with a guaranteed slot for fellows each year—and is specially targeting the 100 or so federal agencies with area studies, international affairs and foreign language human resource needs.

Graduate Fellowships. A masters degree in international affairs or a related field is almost a prerequisite to leadership in the international arena. Accordingly, Fellows apply to and enroll in the Nation’s leading graduate programs, most members of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA). Participating graduate schools provide support of at least $15,000 over the course of a two-year program. IIPP, in turn, provides each of its Fellows with a matching grant of $15,000 to be applied in accordance with an agreement between IIPP and the institution the Fellow attends.

 For additional information please visit the IIPP Website at http://www.uncfsp.org/spknowledge/default.aspx?page=program.view&areaid=2&contentid=174&typeid=iipp

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