Language Immersions

IPED Immersion Group

Students who already have a good background in a foreign language and want to be more proficient are urged to apply for a Language Immersion Study Award. Recipients of a Language Immersion Study Award can spend the summer after their first year of study in an overseas language immersion program and live in an environment where they must constantly speak the language.

Each year up to four IPED students, on a competitive basis, will be awarded LISA Scholarships. LISA scholarship stipends range from $4,200 to $5,700 depending on the language immersion program, plus the cost of basic health insurance for students studying abroad. These stipends roughly cover the costs of round trip airfare, tuition, and board for language immersion programs lasting at least eight weeks. LISA scholarship holders are expected to live with native speaking host families during their summer immersion program. LISA scholars may use their stipend for the study of any language, provided that the language immersion program is approved by Fordham. US students interested in studying a non-western language are expected to also apply for a Boren Fellowship.

Application Procedures

Deadline of application submission: December 1st of each year.

Applications should contain the following information:

  1. Resume (be sure to indicate language abilities);
  2. Two page maximum personal statement indicating how a LISA scholarship might assist you in achieving your future career goals, your preference for a language immersion program, and, if applicable, whether or not you have applied for a Boren fellowship;
  3. Summary of any previous foreign language training (please note grades received for any formal class work); and
  4. Maximum of three letters of recommendation from individuals who jointly can attest to
    • your academic ability (preferably from a professor)
    • your ability to adapt to a foreign culture
    • your ability to work cooperatively and productively within an organization (preferably from an employer)

Selection Criteria

IPED Immersions Egypt

Successful applicants must be in good academic standing and preference will be given to first year, full-time students who achieve a GPA of 3.5 or better during their first semester in the IPED program. Applicants should also have completed at least two semesters of formal training in the language they wish to study or a closely related language. Preference will be given to those students who have more than two semesters of language training, but have not yet achieved complete proficiency in the language. Preference will also be given to those applicants who seek a career in relief and development work or who will use this experience to prepare an application for a post-graduate Fulbright, a post-graduate International Development Fellowship with Catholic Relief Services or any other similar prestigious fellowship.

In cooperation with Catholic Relief Services, we intend to target up to two LISA scholarships to fund French language study for students who intend to apply for IPED's International Peace and Development Travel Scholarships.

Recommended Programs of Language Study

We strongly recommend the following programs for our students:

  • Arabic: Jordan
  • French: Any Alliance Française institution in France outside of Paris
  • Spanish: Cochabamba, Bolivia or Universidad Iberoamericana, Puebla, Mexico