To be eligible to apply for the Humphrey program, you must:

•  Be a Malaysian citizen. 
• Physically present in Malaysia at the time of the interview.
• Working in either the public or private sector with demonstrated leadership ability and a commitment to public service.
• Guaranteed re-employment upon return home after program completion.
• Be at a level in your career at which you will receive maximum benefit from a year’s study in the United States, with limited or no prior experience in the United States.
• Proficient in both written and spoken English and should have a minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) 71 iBT. All shortlisted candidates are required to take the TOEFL iBT, with MACEE providing vouchers to cover the test fee. All nominees should take their language test between May and September 2025. 
• Having a minimum of five years of professional experience (prior to August 2025) in the relevant field, after completing a university degree, and should be interested in the policy aspect of your field of specialization.
• Have completed a university degree program requiring at least four years of full-time study in order to qualify for admission to U.S. programs of graduate study.
• Demonstrate the required experience, skills, and commitment while also indicating how you can benefit from this program in ways that you have not experienced previously and are not likely to experience without the Humphrey Program.
• Exhibit a commitment to return home after your Fellowship for at least two years to use the skills and knowledge you have acquired to assist your community and Malaysia.
• Be willing to share your knowledge of Malaysia with social, civic, and other groups while in the United States.

The following individuals are not eligible:

• Recent university graduates (even with significant positions).
• University teachers or academic researchers with no management responsibilities (except in the fields of Substance Abuse, Education, Prevention, and Treatment and teaching of English as a Foreign Language).
• Have attended a graduate school in the United States for one academic or more during the seven years prior to August 2025.
• With U.S. in-country experience of any kind lasting more than six months during the five years prior to August 2025.

• Roundtip airfare
• Tuition, fees, and books
• Monthly stipend for one full academic year (stipend does not include an additional allowance for dependents).
• A limited amount of funds is allocated for professional development activities, including conference attendance, field trips, and a subsidy toward purchasing a laptop computer.
• Accident and sickness health benefit coverage

Humphrey Fellows pursue tailored study programs at participating host institutions, where the program’s freedom from the requirements of a degree program gives each Fellow the flexibility to pursue a self-directed, individualized program. There is no provision for Fellows to request placement at any particular university. Approximately 11 campuses have been selected through a competitive process to host Fellows in groups with thematic and subject affinities.

 Each institution is chosen based on institutional resources and the level of support and guidance it offers to the participants. Each campus has a designated faculty coordinator for academic and administrative support. In addition, faculty advisors also assist Fellows in pursuing balanced academic and professional programs. Some of the professional enrichment activities Humphrey Fellows will embark on include professional visits, conferences, training programs, and a professional affiliation (work attachment).

The professional affiliation provides first-hand exposure to an American work environment on a full-time-hand exposure to an American work environment on a full-time basis for a minimum period of 6 weeks. Early in the academic year, each Fellow develops, with assistance from the local campus coordinator and faculty advisors, a detailed plan for practical professional activities carefully geared to the Fellow’s Humphrey program objectives.

You will need to submit:

1. A complete online application.
2. Transcripts and diplomas (including course listings and grades received) for undergraduate (first university or Bachelor’s) degrees. Transcripts not in English should include an English translation. A diploma is required for all other higher education degrees (Masters, Doctoral), no transcripts needed. Certificates of completion for certificate-based programs are not required.
3. TOEFL iBT test if you are shortlisted. MACEE will issue vouchers to cover the cost of the test.
4. Two (2) letters of reference in English; one must be from your current employer.
5. Tentative interview date: August 2025 and candidates are expected to begin their fellowships in the U.S. in August 2026.

Application Tips:

• Provide specific examples of your leadership skills and clearly lay out your ability to effect change upon returning home.
• Clearly articulate your plan for the future and for your Humphrey Fellowship.
• Be specific on the projects that you plan to work on and people that you want to work with at host institutions, etc.
• Show your preparedness for the program.

Humphrey Fellows design and implement individualized programs to acquire career-related knowledge, interact with colleagues and gain professional experience, including arrangements for a six-week professional internship.

Important note: The Humphrey program is classified as a non-degree program by the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Applicants must be aware that they cannot transfer to degree status in any program, and therefore will not be able to become degree candidates after arriving in the United States. Applicants cannot transfer from non-degree status to degree status under any circumstances.

NOTE: Incomplete applications will result in the applicant being technically ineligible for the program.

Fellowships are granted competitively in the following fields:

 Human and Institutional Capacity:

• Economic Policy and Finance
• Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration
• Technology Policy and Management

Rights and Freedoms:

• Communications and Journalism
• Law and Human Rights

Sustainable Lands:

• Agriculture and Rural Development
• Natural Resources and Environmental Policy
• Urban and Regional Planning

Thriving Communities:

• Educational Administration, Planning, and Policy
• Public Health Policy and Management
• Substance Abuse Education and Policy

Note on Substance Abuse Education and Policy field: ECA cooperates with the National Institute on Drug Abuse which provides some co-funding to work with Humphrey Fellows specifically in the field of substance abuse. Candidates must have either a research background in the field or demonstrate the ability to learn the results and policy implications of current research. The university programs do not address themselves to the scientific or technical aspects of these fields, but rather to the broad policy-making and problem-solving issues. Emphasis is placed on practical knowledge that will be directly useful to Fellows upon return to their countries.

This program seeks applicants whose writing achieves the highest academic standards of original research, writing, and citation. Application materials will be processed using software to help identify any instances of plagiarism. Plagiarism in any part of your application will result in your disqualification from participating in the program.

Plagiarism will be understood to include any of the following:

Presenting wording, statistics, or concepts as your own which should be attributed to someone else or to publications (online or offline). This includes, but is not limited to:

• Copying the exact wording of a written source.
• Presenting material with alterations in wording.
• Paraphrasing the content of a source without citation.

It is expected that your application will be your own work and writing, with a clear citation of secondary sources if describing the academic work and writing of others (including one’s own previously published work). Any sources used in the construction of your responses must be clearly cited.

Click here to explore the program FAQ