Why you should consider this program

Texas State’s International Studies graduate program prides itself in providing a premier student-centered, educational experience that fosters success. It offers individualized academic advising, quality courses, study abroad, and a large pool of electives that allow flexibility in choosing courses to meet students’  interests and educational objectives. The program also maintains close ties to organizations that work with underserved communities and customizes internships so students can apply course work in the real world, putting them in an excellent position to achieve their career goals. The International Studies program is recognized internationally as one of the best I.S. programs in the United States, with graduate students citing the program’s variety and quality in professors and courses, rich interdisciplinary approach, uniqueness in the Southwest, close interaction with professors, flexibility, diversity, and practicality in allowing career-goal customization as the basis for consistently landing graduates in international careers. Students have a long history of winning prestigious external fellowships, including two Boren Fellowships, the first of their kind to be awarded at Texas State University.

Benefits for Coverdell Fellows

	Tuition/fees for Complete Program	Value of Coverdell Fellowship	Net cost *
In state	$ 14,500	$ 25,000	$ 0 + You receive additional benefits.
Out of state	$ 29,200	$ 39,000	$ 0 + You receive additional benefits.

* Net cost is equal to tuition/fees minus fellowship value. For some universities, the fellowship value includes non-tuition/fee benefits such as health insurance or housing—see the first point below for more details.

Where the cost savings value of the Coverdell Fellowship comes from

For out-of-state students: waiver of out-state-portion of tuition, 20-hour-per-week assistantship, scholarship, $9800 stipend

For in-state students: 20-hour-per-week assistantship, scholarship    

Fellowships awarded per year (average)

1

Other benefits or opportunities

Coverdell Fellows with an area of interest in Latin America qualify for up to $2,500 of additional scholarship support per year. Coverdell Fellowship applicants also qualify to be nominated for the Graduate College’s Merit Fellowships ($2,500 for the student’s first academic year). Coverdell Fellowship applicants can also apply yearly for Graduate College Scholarships (up to $3,000 per academic year) and for Celebrity Classic Scholarships ($4,500 per year for the duration of the student’s remaining hours in their degree plan). In addition, they can apply for various Liberal Arts Scholarships. Research Support: Coverdell Fellows are guaranteed to receive Conference Travel Support ($150-300 for two trips per academic year from The Graduate College in addition to funding from the program and the academic college) provided they present research at conferences. They can also apply for competitive Thesis Research Support Fellowships which provide $2,000 for expenses related to thesis research. External Fellowships: The Graduate College has an external funding coordinator who helps students apply for scholarships/fellowships/grants from external organizations and foundations.

Annual cost of living (estimated)

$ 18,655

Application fee waived?

Yes

Internship

An internship supporting an underserved American community is part of the regular degree program (a three-hour or six-hour credit course with 150 or 300 internship hours respectively). The graduate program has long-standing contact with a number of organizations in the country, state, and city. Texas State is located in Hays County, one of the poorest in Texas, and a number of local organizations are open to interns. Moreover, a working partnership with the McCoy College of Business Administration includes the goal of placing students in paid or sponsored internships. Some of the organizations who have hosted students include: Caritas, Multicultural Refugee Coalition, Refugee Services of Texas, Southside Community Center, Habitat for Humanity, Hays-Caldwell Women's Center, Hays County Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, SightsUnSeen (non-profit that distributes eyeglasses for free to need), Calaboose African-American History Museum (San Marcos), and Bullock Museum (Austin). The program can (and has in the past) customized internships to fit the career goals of graduate students. For example, the program has created customized internships at the Texas Department of Agriculture, the office of the Texas Secretary of State, GlobalAustin (non-profit that hosts international visitors and delegations), and the Austin consulates of various governments, including Mexico.  

Other details

Program length

2 years

Application requirements

Graduate application, college transcripts, 3.0 GPA on the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses) resume/CV, two letters of recommendation from professors, statement of purpose (2-5 pages) describing why applicant is interested in the international studies program, how it fits into their professional development and what they hope to accomplish. Applicants must also have at least six hours in introductory economics courses at the undergraduate program (can be taken prior to starting the program or concurrently with first-year courses) and must also have proficiency in the speaking, reading, and oral comprehension of a modern language other than English. 

Admissions process

Student will apply according to the instructions as specified by the International Studies master's degree program, with the following modifications/additions:

·         Check “yes” to the “Coverdell Applicant” question in the application

·         list Peace Corps Volunteer work in the resume/CV

·         explicitly mention Peace Corps Volunteer work in the statement of purpose

·         submit Peace Corps Description of Service (the application fee(s) will be waived upon submission of this document)

The Graduate College notifies applicants about their acceptance into the degree program, which is followed by a departmental notification that will inform RPCVs whether or not they were accepted as Coverdell Fellows.

Program begins

Fall: late August; Spring: mid January; Summer: early June

Non-traditional options

• None

Year Coverdell Fellows partnership started

2017

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Contact

Andrea Golato, Ph.D., Dean, The Graduate College