Fulbright is a scholarship that offers financial support (up to $66,000) to study a Postgraduate degree in the U.S.A (you can learn more about the Award here). I was fortunate enough to win the BAFTA Fulbright Scholarship for the 2026/27 academic year, and I’m keen to help demystify the application process.
A core component of the application is your Study Objective. This is a 1,000 word essay that is expected to cover the following:
Write a clear and very detailed description of the programme you want to pursue in the U.S. in an essay format. As this is an indication of your written communication skills, make sure it is well organised, written and spell checked.
Explain your motivation for applying to the Fulbright Programme.
Clearly identify the area(s) within your field of study in which you want to specialise or concentrate. If there is specific research that you want to accomplish, please explain it as fully as space allows.
Outline how the period in the U.S. will enhance your knowledge, skills and understanding, and your future development in the specified discipline. • List the universities where you would like to study, highlight your top choice, and explain why you have made these selections. This ONLY applies to those who have selected the Independent Placement model.
Applicants applying to a Master’s or a PhD programme should detail the programme they wish to undertake, the course they wish to study, research objectives (if applicable) and how the study plan fits with their training and career to date.
Applicants who intend to pursue research while being enrolled on and in the advanced stages of a PhD should identify the research question or objectives, methodology, expected results and planned dissemination of information.
My Advice:
There’s great official advice on how to write the essay and what the Fulbright Commission are looking for (check out Fulbright’s guide here). I think the best advice I can give is to simply share the essay that worked for me (and won me the Fulbright BAFTA Scholarship). Keep in mind that this essay was specifically for the BAFTA Fulbright Scholarship, so it’s slightly different from other Masters programmes - most Master’s applications want to know your exact thesis topic and require deep subject-matter expertise. For me, I focused more on why I got into filmmaking and the type of films I hoped to make
My Fulbright Study/Research Objective:
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As always, send me a message at roise_nab if you have any specific questions.