Study Abroad > Fulbright

Fulbright
The Fulbright Commission offers two types of grants for graduating seniors who are American citizens. The Fulbright is designed to foster understanding between Americans and people in other parts of the world. At least six current or former German majors have received Fulbrights: five for study immediately after graduating from Centre (including Caitlin Harper ['08], who has received an award to study and teach in Vienna, Austria in 2008-09, Katie Pfohl ['08], who has received an award to teach English in Germany in 2008-09, and Robert Alford, who studied economics at the Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main) and one, Karin Wolfe, who received a Fulbright (for 2003-05) to continue her study of German law at the Ludwig-Maximillian Universität München after practicing law in the U.S. for three years. Karen Mahoney Gravel, a History major at Centre who took German classes, received a Fulbright to study Art History at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, an experience that convinced her to pursue a career in architecture. (Faculty members Ken Keffer and Ian Wilson are also Fulbright alumni.)

Students may receive grants allowing for full study with no service involved (Austria, Germany or Switzerland) or grants that call for minimal assistance in teaching English and American Studies (Austria and Germany). The most grants (187) are available to Germany, with only 20 for Austria and 7 for Switzerland. These numbers include all grants for graduating seniors and graduate students, so competition is very fierce.

Students applying for a Fulbright grant must approach the process seriously and intend to spend a good deal of time preparing their application. The process begins in the early fall of applying students' senior year, so ideally students would begin to think about a Fulbright during their junior year. Interested students should speak as soon as possible with the Campus Advisor Prof. Patrice Mothion. Contacting a faculty member in German Studies for assistance and planning would also be a good idea.

The Fulbright grant is one of the most prestigious grants available to Americans, and receiving one can be a springboard to excellent opportunities in graduate or professional school or beyond.

Note that most Fulbright grants are not "German" programs per se but rather discipline-specific study programs in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, home to many world-class universities.

The Austrian Fulbright Commission also administers the English Language Teaching Assistantship Program. See the information under Study Abroad > Other opportunities for more information.

Relevant links:
Centre College: Fulbright Scholarship
U.S. Department of State: general Fulbright Program website
Institute of International Education: U.S. Student Fulbright Program website
U.S. Student Fulbrights in Austria
U.S. Student Fulbrights in Germany
U.S. Student Fulbrights in Switzerland

revised 07 May 2008