The Luce Scholars Program is a competitive leadership development fellowship that provides emerging leaders with intensive language training and immersive one-year professional experiences in Asia. The program provides a local cost-of-living stipend. This program is experiential, rather than academic, in focus. Further information is available on the Luce Scholars Program website.
Conditions of Eligibility
- Be a senior or recent graduate.
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Luce Scholars come from a variety of fields, including (but not limited to) arts, journalism, law, medicine, public health, science, business, environmental studies, and international relations.
- Reviewers will consider academic accomplishments; however, the Luce Scholars Program is experiential, focusing on learning through real-world experience rather than traditional classroom settings.
- Successful candidates will have demonstrated significant leadership ability, intercultural competence, and evidence of potential for professional achievement. Personal qualities such as resilience, flexibility, adaptability, maturity, humility, creativity, openness to new ideas, and sensitivity to cultural differences are as important as academic performance.
Application Materials
- A completed application form.
- A 500-word personal statement.
- Five short-answer questions.
- Two letters of recommendation, at least one of which must be professional rather than academic.
- A 1-2 minute video.
Application Deadline
Students should discuss the application process with an ODPS team member prior to applying. Completed applications must be submitted by Sept. 8, 2026.