Statement of Purpose
Statement of Purpose Requirements
Please write an essay and discuss the following:
How the study of modern language and area/international studies fits into your overall academic program and career goals;
What you have done so far toward these goals;
What specific things you plan to do during the fellowship period;
How these activities contribute toward your academic and career goals; and
For Summer Applications: Please explain why you need to study language intensively during the summer, and why the summer language program you have chosen best meet your needs.
For dissertation fieldwork or writing (PhD only), you must include a timetable of your research/writing plans for the academic year. (This timetable is considered outside of the 1,000 word limit but please prepare it in the same file as the statement of purpose.)
Statement of Purpose Guidelines
Write no more than 1,000 words (approximately 3 pages using a 12 point font, double-spaced).
Use reasonable margins and font size.
Put your name and UMID in the header so that it prints on every page.
If you are applying for both the Academic Year AND Summer FLAS Fellowships, you must write a separate statement of purpose for each fellowship application.
Writing Resources
International Institute Statement of Purpose Series
Social Sciences Research Council, “On the Art of Writing Proposals”