NYU offers Falak Sufi Scholarship for 2027–28, applications close January 15

• Eligible students from Muslim-majority countries in South Asia can seek support, with preference given to women.
• The scholarship covers tuition, health insurance and university fees, alongside an academic-year stipend of at least $37,132.
• Applicants must meet NYU’s graduate admission requirements and apply for fall 2027 admission by January 15, 2027.

New York University’s Graduate School of Arts and Science has announced the Falak Sufi Scholarship for 2027–28, supporting eligible students seeking a two-year master’s degree in Near Eastern Studies at the Hagop Kevorkian Center.

According to the scholarship notice, the award is intended for students from Muslim-majority countries in South Asia who might otherwise be unable to obtain a graduate education. Pakistani applicants fall within this regional focus, and female candidates are preferred.

The scholarship is available to candidates applying to the master’s programme in Near Eastern Studies. The notice also includes applicants to the joint degree with Journalism, the Museum Studies concentration and the business track.

Funding for 2027–28 includes an academic-year stipend of at least $37,132, tuition, student health insurance, and registration and services fees. The award provides support for up to two years, subject to recipients meeting the academic standards of the Graduate School and their programme.

Candidates should demonstrate intellectual promise and a strong commitment to the role of women in academia. The scholarship particularly focuses on the study of gender in Muslim-majority countries in the Near East, Middle East and South Asia.

For graduate admission, NYU requires applicants to hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent foreign qualification. Its published admission policy highlights strong academic records, recommendations from people qualified to assess an applicant’s academic ability, and clearly expressed research goals. Each department sets its own admission standards.

Applicants whose native language is not English are generally required to demonstrate proficiency through TOEFL or IELTS, subject to applicable exemptions. NYU’s published GSAS guidance recommends a TOEFL iBT score of 100 or an overall IELTS band score of 7. Applicants with lower scores are not automatically barred from applying, although individual programmes may set higher standards. NYU’s official admissions guidance also recognises an exemption where an undergraduate or graduate degree was completed at an institution with English as the language of instruction.

The scholarship advertisement does not publish a minimum GPA or percentage requirement, or an age limit. NYU’s general graduate admission policy states that applications are considered without regard to age, while academic standards are determined by individual departments.

NYU’s official Near Eastern Studies programme listing confirms that application materials include academic transcripts, applicant statements, a résumé or curriculum vitae, letters of recommendation, test scores where required, and a non-refundable application fee. Candidates should follow the programme’s application instructions for any additional documents or testing requirements.

Interested students should apply through the Graduate School of Arts and Science’s online admission system for the relevant Near Eastern Studies programme. Their application should explain their academic background and research interests. Candidates seeking the scholarship should also clearly describe their connection to its focus on gender and women in academia, and how financial support would enable them to pursue graduate study.

The deadline stated in the notice for fall 2027 admission is January 15, 2027. Questions about scholarship consideration, documentation or English-language exemptions can be directed to the Graduate School of Arts and Science admissions office.

The award honours Falak Sufi, a Pakistani scholar born in 1983 who graduated from the National University of Singapore with first-class honours in Political Science. Her interests included women and gender in South Asia, the region’s historiography and the humanities.

Sufi was a graduate student in Near Eastern Studies at NYU’s Kevorkian Center when she died in New York in 2008. The scholarship honours her memory by supporting students who reflect her intellectual promise and commitment to scholarship.