The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD ) provides emerging student leaders with a scholarship for one semester of non-degree academic study at a U.S. college or university. The program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. State Department.
The goal of the program is to recruit participants from underrepresented segments of society who have had no other opportunities to study in the United States. Successful candidates can expect in-depth acquaintance with American society, culture and academic institutions, as well as opportunities to improve their professional skills.
Program Description
All participants will be enrolled for one semester in full-time, non-degree, undergraduate coursework chosen from their host institution’s existing curriculum. Participants will be required to take one, 3-credit U.S. studies course to enhance their understanding of the United States. Participants will live in campus housing facilities with American peers and will be required to participate in 20 hours of community service. There will also be a virtual arrival orientation and an in-person end-of-program workshop.
Participants are not able to choose their host institution. Instead, participants are placed at the most appropriate host institution based on students’ academic interests. The program includes a diverse roster of over 70 host campuses across 43 states, including colleges and universities in rural and urban areas. Global UGRAD is a non-degree program.
Successful participants receive a program certificate of completion issued by the U.S. State Department. The program does not assist with credit transfers between participants’ U.S. host and home institutions. It is the students’ responsibility to verify with their home institutions whether any credits accumulated during the Global UGRAD program will be transferred.
Selection criteria:
- To be a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
- Students currently residing in the Republic of Kazakhstan and studying at a Kazakh university.
- Full-time students who, after completing the Global UGRAD program and upon returning to their country, will have at least one academic semester left to continue their studies at their Kazakh university.
- Candidates for participation in the Global UGRAD program must demonstrate their leadership potential and confirm their active participation in studies, social events and the life of the surrounding community.
- Candidates who have successfully passed the interview will be offered to take the TOEFL iBT test for free. Candidates will need to score a minimum score of 55 out of 120 possible to pass the further stage of the competition. Students who score from 48 to 60 points will be considered for virtual English language training before participating in the exchange program. Selected students must score at least 61 points to be eligible to participate in an exchange program in the United States. No TOEFL test results are required at the time of application.
- Preference will be given to those who have had little or NO experience in the United States or outside of their home countries.
- Preference will be given to students majoring in STEM subjects, computer science, IT, environmental studies, renewable energy, and agriculture, as well as those studying at regional universities.
- Applicants are required to return directly to their home country after the completion of the program.
- Applicants are over 18 years of age (if you are currently 17 years old, you can still apply for the program). At the start of the program participants must be 18.
- Students with GPA over 3.0 out of 4.0.
Application and Program Timeline:
Application Deadline: December 15, 2023, 11:59 Eastern Standard Time (UTC-05:00).
Participants will be placed at a U.S. university in either the fall 2024 semester (August – December 2024) or spring 2025 semester (January to May 2025). Selected applicants may not choose their semester of participation.
Students can access the application via the following link: https://webportalapp.com/sp/ugrad_student_application_2024
For more information, please visit the Global UGRAD program website: https://www.worldlearning.org/program-pages/global-ugrad/global-ugrad-students/